Grand Line Kaigun'in
by Sacred Sakura
Summary: New recruits for the Marines display unnatural abilities and questionable pasts, causing suspicion. Each of these new trainees has a reason for joining up, every motive different. What are their intentions?
1. Ch 1 Proving the Self

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A One Piece Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 11/22-23/2006  
****Published: 11/27/2006**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
****Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, its characters, concepts, settings, or anything else its author—Oda Eiichiro—has ever conceived or owned. This is simply a work of fiction that I have written just for fun—and to supplement as a sort of precursor to another work of mine, _Calm Tempest_. However, any and all characters, settings, and the like appearing in this work—that are not currently under the copyright of One Piece, Toei Animation, or Shounen Jump as of the date of this fiction's publication—are my property; only and I are allowed to take advantage of the publishing rights this work is subject under. Please keep these things in mind as you read _Grand Line Kaigun'in._**

**Dedication: To Mr. K., who assigned vocab homework, thereby inadvertently leading to the publication of this fic, which I have been wanting—though very much lacking in motivation and inspiration—to write for quite some time. Thanks a bunch!**

**A/N: I'm so glad I finally got to write this! (Especially considering the fact that I currently have writer's block with _Calm Tempest_...) Please R&R!

* * *

**

**Training Day One: Proving the Self**

"Do not fall under any illusory thoughts, suppositions, presumptions, or anything of the sort before, during, and after your training as a Grand Line marine. There will be no fun and games. These next six weeks will comprise of suffering, torturous training, constant hunger, despair—and possibly—most likely—**death."**

The burly man pacing before them ceased his staccato circling of the ragged and motley recruits clumped in utter disorganization. A strict brunet crew cut accented the sharp hazel eyes that glared at them menacingly, displaying the degree of his implacable disapproval.

"**There is no room for weakness in the Marines.** Therefore, any and all of you who do not 'feel up to' such extreme training should leave **now. **Anyone? Anyone at all? **This is your last chance! Deserters will not be countenanced or even tolerated!"**

The varied assemblage—a melting pot of all peoples, ages, genders, inclinations, and backgrounds—peered curiously at one another, wondering who had been idiot enough to have come all this way—hundreds of thousands of miles, for some—simply to call it quits.

No one moved from where they stood.

"Good. Hopefully the fact that none of you are leaving now is a sign that you won't be leaving ever for the next six weeks—at the very least." The burly man hefted a monstrous knapsack from the pile of canvas bags behind him and chucked one toward a recruit to his far left. "Here. This is Part One of your training."

He continued to toss the heavy loads to each and every one of the enlisters—causing some to keel over from the enormous weight, while a few others managed to heft the bags without too much trouble. "Your task: Survive the next five days here while making your way to the training base on the other side of this island." He pointed to a mountain to the west—the highest on the island. "It doesn't matter **how **you get there, as long as you reach the base. Now—**go!!!"**

The largely—but not entirely—disgruntled recruits began making their way through the underbrush of the island. Some took to the forest; others—the majority—decided to take the beach. And a select few chose the most difficult and grueling route of all—straight up the steep mountain itself.

'I'm not one to adjudicate,' the burly man thought to himself, observing those who took the most intimidating course, 'but it looks like things here at the base are going to get more interesting than it's been in years.'

* * *

A green-eyed brunette strode over toward a lone figure traversing the first level of the peak, her long ponytail swishing back and forth from her eagerness. 

"Hello, there!" she greeted her fellow recruit.

Ignoring her, the dark-haired person began to scale the first rocky outcropping.

"_S-sugoi."_ The girl remained at the foot of the mountain, mesmerized, as she marveled at his dexterity on the cliffs.

"Hey, Sei'i." The voice—obviously from a male—snapped the girl out of her daze.

She turned, wary. No one here was from East Blue, so who…?

"Want to scale this thing with me?" A thin blond smiled gently as he shouldered his substantially full knapsack. "I can make it easier for you by carrying your stuff. All you need to do is keep me company."

The brunette stared. **"Wataridori?"**

The blond sweatdropped. "It's **Watari.** Sei'i, we've been friends for—what? Eight years?—and you **still** haven't gotten my name right."

"Sorry. But then—what are you doing **here**? Last I checked, you wanted oh so much to become a pirate and find the legendary One Piece. What's with the career move?"

Watari smiled wryly as he adjusted the thin glasses on his nose. "Let's just say I sorted out my priorities. But anyway,"—he raised an eyebrow— "are you coming with me or not?"

"W-well," Sei'i began, hesitant, "actually, I was planning on doing this alone—**without **any help."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" she snapped. "I don't need **anyone's** help expediting my excursion through this island! I may be a girl, but I am fully capable of taking care of myself!"

"Whoa, whoa." Watari held his hands up in an "I'm harmless" gesture. "That was a bit much, don't you think? I wasn't implying that you weren't capable of—"

"Gratuitous? Perhaps. But not unreasonable." Sei'i crossed her arms angrily and looked away. "All my life, everyone's told me, 'A girl is delicate,' 'You shouldn't be roughing it with the boys; you'll get hurt,' 'A woman's place is in the home, not out in the woods fighting with guys.' I've heard it all, but I most definitely don't believe a single word of it."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to set you off like that." Watari ran his fingers through his hair uncertainly. "Um…but…you sure you don't want to accompany me—just for the sake of catching up? It's been five years, after all."

Sei'i looked at her childhood friend helplessly. "Sorry, but I have to do this myself." She turned away and began to scale the mountain.

Watari pulled his glasses off as he sadly gazed upon the retreating figure that was his friend—and the reason why he was ordered to come here of all places. Shaking his head, he swiveled by the heel and made for the beach.

* * *

As Sei'i clambered up the rock-strewn rise, the great weight of her knapsack hampered her progress. 'Stupid Watari… Of **course** I can handle this kind of hardcore training…. Who does he think he is? He's only a **guy**, for crying out loud…. The only thing that separates that weakling from me is **gender**, and even **that** is meaningless….' 

So intent in her thoughts was she that her hold on a jutting stone, not as solid as first assumed, slipped. Frozen with shock, she fell without attempting to regain a hold on the mountain.

'So this is it then,' her mind sighed with resignation. 'I'm going to die without being able to prove myself.'

She plummeted—until a hand caught her by the shirt.

"Fool."

* * *

**So? What do you think?**

**:D**


	2. Ch 2 Sakujitsu

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A One Piece Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 11/24-26/2006  
****Published: 11/29/2006**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
****Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, its characters, concepts, settings, or anything else its author—Oda Eiichiro—has ever conceived or owned. This is simply a work of fiction that I have written just for fun—and to supplement as a sort of precursor to another work of mine, _Calm Tempest_. However, any and all characters—okay, you've probably most likely have already read all this by now, since you've most likely already read Chapter One, so I won't suffer you to have to read it all over again. But still, please keep these things in mind as you read _Grand Line Kaigun'in._**

**Dedication: To Mr. K., who assigned vocab homework, thereby inadvertently leading to the publication of this fic, which I have been wanting—though very much lacking in motivation and inspiration—to write for quite some time. Thanks a bunch!**

**A/N: I'm so glad I finally got to write this! (Especially considering the fact that I currently have writer's block with _Calm Tempest_...) Please R&R! Note: Review replies for Chapter One follow at the end of this chapter.  
****Please also note that I now have writer's block once again, so there won't be any more updates for _Grand Line Kaigun'in_ for a long while. Gomen!

* * *

**

**Training Day Two: Sakujitsu (Yesterday)**

Sei'i gazed into the night sky, a reflection of the universe that glimmered rich indigo from the multitudinous luminaries that had begun to alight in the heavens. 'Kirei…'

She shivered from the pre-morning dew and wrapped the thin blanket around her body more tightly. 'Wait a minute.' She stared at the bundle of cloth in her hand. 'Where…?'

As dawn began to reach out to the sky with tendrils of soft sunlight, her memory took her back to the previous day.

* * *

"_Baka. Watch where you're falling."_

_Sei'i looked up—and stared. The one who had caught her was the dark-haired boy she'd tried to talk to earlier. At the moment he hung, suspended, from the tip of a protruding rock by one arm._

'_W-what the—?! He's holding both of us up, yet he can't be much older than me!'_

"_Brace yourself."_

'_W-wha—?!'_

_He let go, and Sei'i plummeted—landing on a jutting slab of rock one meter below._

"_Owww…" she muttered, wincing as she rubbed the bruised spot on her posterior._

_The recruit, apparently assuming that she was fine, began to make leave by continuing his excursion across the mountain face._

"_H-hey, wait!" she called out after him, struggling to rise to her feet._

_He paused._

"_Do you always save people from near death and then just leave without even letting them say thanks?!" she demanded._

_He remained where he hung, not even facing her. "Yes."_

_His response caught her off guard. "W-wha—?!" She regained her composure. "You can't be serious! Who **does** that?!"_

_The recruit resumed climbing._

_His obvious cold-shoulder became the precedent for her increasing anger. "What the heck?!" Sei'i began to scale the precipice in enraged pursuit of him. "What's wrong with you?! First you ignore me, then you save me from near death, then you ignore me again! Are you just **trying** to be antisocial, or were you raised up that way?! It doesn't appear to me to be the former, since you don't have a damn manifesto lying around!"_

_She reached out and seized his arm. **"Why are you trying so hard to be a loner?"**_

_He whipped his head around to face her, his slate-gray eyes flashing. **"I don't have to **_**try_."

* * *

_**

"_You can depend on nothing in this world but nature, and even then the Grand Line counters that principle." He said this as they trekked across more hospitable terrain._

"_Eh?" Sei'i blinked, then struggled to catch up with his rapid pace. "What do you mean?"_

"'_Hitobito wa bitoku o kakanai,'" he murmured. "Humans lack virtue."_

"_Th-that's not true!" Sei'i protested. "Not **all **humans are evil—"_

"_I never said they were." His mouth hardened into a thin line. "**You** did."_

_The brunette stopped, shocked into silence._

_Night fell. They took a break at the ridge._

"_You've got a point, I suppose," Sei'i said, reluctant to agree with his view of humanity. She dropped to her knees to rest. "But that's no reason to be unsociable You can't judge **everyone **by that criteria." _'_If he hates humans that much…then… Why did he save me?'_

_The dark-haired recruit seated himself against a mossy rock and fell asleep._

'_W-what the heck?! How can he just fall asleep like that?!' She sighed in exasperation. 'Oh, well. I might as well catch some Zs too…'

* * *

_

They had reached the peak together. Sometime during the night, he must have left for the base.

She breathed in the thin yet fresh mountain air and then stood, trying to regain her equilibrium. Sei'i gazed across the treetops. She didn't know who exactly the boy was, but his view on life somehow altered her perspective on things—on people especially. 'So corruption **isn't **a thing of the past anymore, is it? Then again…perhaps it never was.'

She shook her head. 'No, I mustn't be distracted by such thoughts. I can worry about those things when I'm a marine. But now…'

Before her, far on the other side of the island, was Grand Line Marine Training Base 003.

'…now, it's time for me to train. It's time for me to **become** a marine.'

* * *

'It's already the past the eight centennial of the establishment of the Marines.' The burly brunet sighed as he ground a smoking cigarette butt into the worn soil. 'Something interesting has always happened at least a couple of times every hundred years. Knowing history—especially after Gol D. Roger's execution fourteen years ago, and now Dragon's revolutionary movements—**something interesting—something _big_—is gonna happen again.'**

He shook his head. "These new recruits had better gird themselves for the years ahead. **'Cause it's gonna get _real_ ugly."

* * *

**

**Here are the replies to your reviews!**

Kitty Yannie—Well, it's not so much that she gave up; it was more along the lines of shock than anything else. Watari decided to go by beach, remember? And no, the burly man wasn't Smoker (I did say he was brunet)… Gosh…Smoker-san as a brunet? Scary!


	3. Ch 3 Hypocrisy

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A One Piece Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 12/9 & 11/2006  
****Edited/Published: 12/16/2006**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
****Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, its characters, concepts, settings, or anything else its author—Oda Eiichiro—has ever conceived or owned. This is simply a work of fiction that I have written just for fun—okay, you've probably most likely have already read all this by now, since you've most likely already read the previous chapters, so I won't suffer you to have to read it all over again. But still, please keep those things in mind as you read _Grand Line Kaigun'in._**

**Dedication: To Mr. K., who assigned vocab homework, thereby inadvertently leading to the publication of this fic, which I have been wanting—though very much lacking in motivation and inspiration—to write for quite some time. Thanks a bunch!**

**A/N: Darn it, I still don't understand how Sei'i became the main character… Oh, well… At least it'll be fun watching her grow as a person….

* * *

**

**Training Day Three: Hypocrisy**

"Sir! Santōhei Tashikame Sei'i, reporting for training, sir!"

The idly smoking training officer glanced up at the brunette who saluted him. "Three days and two nights, eh? Not bad…"

"Sir! I would like to know what my orders are, sir!"

The sergeant major jabbed a callused thumb at the tented-over assemblage of tables behind him. "Just go over there and relax while we wait for the stragglers."

"Yes, sir!"

He grunted in reply. 'Damn it…not another one of those…'

Sei'i nodded, then strode over to the makeshift waiting spot and plopped down onto the nearest bench. "Three days, huh? Guess I didn't do too badly…"

She turned her head to see who else had arrived at the training base early. There was a serious-faced teen of perhaps eighteen, whose long, dark brown hair hung haphazardly before his intense dark green eyes. Another girl, she noted, had fallen asleep, auburn hair spilling across her tanned arms beneath her head. Two men—one blond, the other sandy-haired—spoke animatedly, their matching dark brown eyes giving away their blood-relation.

Eagerly, the brunette craned her neck in search of the dark-haired boy, certain he had arrived before her. '…Huh…? Where could he be…? He should have arrived ahead of me already…'

* * *

During the next few hours, the sergeant major went through an entire pack of cigarettes, his impatience building as no one else arrived at the training base. "Damn Headquarters," he muttered angrily. "Ordering me to train a bunch of lazy fools into becoming marines… So what if I disobeyed orders by going outside of my jurisdiction? Justice is justice, no matter how much the World Government tries to twist it." 

He turned to get a good look at the recruits present. "Hmm…looks like these guys are the only competent ones of the entire group…. Maybe I should just curtail the rest of the time limit and keep going. Like I said before, the Marines don't tolerate slackers—and it seems to me only slackers need the entire week to get all the way here."

He snorted in derision. "'There is no room for weakness in the Marines.' What a load of shit. Those damn hypocrites…. And don't even get me started on their 'Absolute Justice'…"

As he continued to rant _sotto voce_, a ragged figure emerged from the forest. A splatter of blood adorned his soiled clothes. He breathed heavily, clutching an injured arm.

The sergeant major halted in his tirade. "What the hell happened to you?" he demanded.

"Got into a bit of a spat," the dark-haired boy muttered, wiping away a smear of blood from his forehead. "Sorry I couldn't present myself respectably, but I didn't pack an extra change of clothes."

The training officer narrowed his eyes at the young recruit, uncertain whether he was being sarcastic or blunt. He then sighed, annoyed. "Whatever. Just clean yourself up before we start training, which'll be in about half an hour. If you've got injuries due to your little scuffle, it ain't my problem. I'm not gonna go any easier on you because of your stupidity, so just deal with them. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." He trudged over to a nearby stream to wash off the blood.

"Damn kids, think they're so indestructible," the officer muttered, lighting another cigarette. "Can't stand the 'indignity' of being beaten. Cocky, indiscriminate fighting like that's gonna get them killed." He paused in thought. 'Gotta wonder, though… Who won?'

* * *

"Hey, kid." The auburn-haired woman grinned at Sei'i, finally awake. "So how's life as a Santōhei?" 

"Okay so far, I guess." She held out her hand. "Name's Sei'i."

The woman took it. "Go by the name Akino. Twenty-four years old. Blood type B. Joined the Marines to do something with my life. You?"

"Huh? Oh…uh… I joined the Marines to prove to everyone at home that I can do whatever I put my mind to—to prove that I'm not some weak girl who always has to rely on the strength of men to get things done. In short, I'm here to prove that girls are just as strong and self-reliant as boys."

Akino grinned at Sei'i's determined look. "Nice goal. Better'n mine, I gotta say."

"N-no, it isn't…"

"Sure, kid. Sure." Akino's previously carefree expression turned serious. "You hear? They say the infamous master of espionage "Hitome no Wahei" (Wahei of the Single Glance) escaped incarceration **again.** And they say he was last seen in the Yasashii-Tonari Islands—only **thirty kilometers** from here. Could you **imagine** what would happen if he showed up **on this island?** It'd be like a bloodbath." She shook her head. "And his execution was supposed to make reparations between Supata and Asenzu. Man, sometimes you really gotta wonder whether everyone would have been better off if the Great Age of Piracy had never started…"

Sei'i, not knowing what to say, remained silent.

Akino continued. "Take the Kingdom of Eijiyas, where I come from. Right now the land's riddled with criminals, pirates, corrupt leaders, and rebellion, not to mention plenty of strife. Something's run rampant in our country—I wouldn't exactly say **evil**—but a sense of…I don't know…**wickedness**, I guess. Sure, these things existed before Gold Roger's execution, but somehow…somehow they seemed to worsen afterwards."

Sei'i possessed only a smattering of historical knowledge, yet she was almost certain she had heard of the travails of this kingdom. There was something else as well…something about the doings of one of its previous leaders that gave the kingdom such a malign reputation…but now she couldn't quite remember…

Akino suddenly laughed, almost as if in self-derision. "Look at me, talking like some misty-eyed bard about the problems of my country. Here I comfortably sit, away from the mess at home, while the mounting resentment of starving hundreds continues to grow, and all I do is worry about whether I'll make it as a marine. I'm such a hypocrite…a real perpetrator of the worst kind…." She laughed again. "So corruption of spirit really is inalienable, no matter the environment…."

Her sardonic smile gave way to a sad twist of the mouth. "Well, at least I still have the comfort of my oath. 'Once I become a marine, I will do my best to intercede in the terrible affairs of Eijiyas, and right the wrongs that have transpired and been committed against my country's people.' I was such a hopeful young girl back then. Innocent of the truth behind the workings of the world."

She turned to the now solemn-faced brunette sitting quietly before her. "Even after your eyes behold the dirt and corruption that is the world, please make sure you retain a portion—even a mere scrap—of your innocence." A tear slid down her cheek. "Believe me. It means all the world."


	4. Ch 4 Dekigoto

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 1/10/2007, 2/12&15/2007, 3/24-27/2007, 4/28/2007  
****Edited: 4/28/2007  
****Published: 4/29/2007**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
****Disclaimer: I do not own ****One Piece****. Period. Got it? Good. All the OCs and original plotlines in here are of my own creation, and YOU HAVE NO PERMISSION TO USE THEM WITHOUT MY CONSENT!!!**

**Dedication: To Mr. K., the catalyst (sort of) for this fic (including this chapter)! And also—TO MY WONDERFUL, FAITHFUL READERS!!! ESPECIALLY NEHSZRIAH-SAN!!! Thanks a bunch!!!**

**A/N: Um... It took so long to post this chapter for two reasons: One, I didn't have as much time or inspiration to write it as soon as we'd all have liked. Two, my English teacher was in possession of over half of my writing (I was doing it for a vocab story assignment-type thing), and being a procrastinator of turning stuff back to students, well...he wasn't exactly expedient in returning them...  
****The sergeant major is still nameless because I don't have a name for him yet. I'm open to suggestions, though.  
****Be on the lookout for little clues and hints dropped here and there throughout the story. Heheheh...  
REVIEW REPLIES ARE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!!! **

* * *

**Training Day Four: Dekigoto (Happenings)**

"Two hundred push-ups!!" the brunet training officer barked. "And when you've completed those, commence with **double** that number of crunches!!!"

They dropped down to their hands and feet, the ragged up-and-down movements of their white-and-navy-clothed bodies ebbing and flowing like the restless waves of the azure ocean before them.

"Get those backs straighter, you lazy bums!" he growled, his penetrating hazel eyes flashing. "And pick up the pace! You aren't training to become sissies! You're training to become **marines!!!"**

The sergeant major circled the sweating recruits, commending some, while criticizing the rest. "Decent speed, Tashikame! Hayashii-tachi!! Neither of you are using your abdominal muscles!! Namiki!!! Who endowed you with such pathetic endurance?!! I've seen **Zatsuyou** with more spirit!!"

He paused before two extremely assiduous recruits—dark-haired Yokurui and the even darker-haired Kanshi. 'Six hundred and fifty crunches each... What do they want, an accolade or something? Adulation from the other recruits? Or just trying to ingratiate themselves with me, the training officer?'

He shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. 'Serving as a marine in the real world has gotten me paranoid. Why must I always do that whenever a hardworking recruit enlists under my tutelage?'

The unspoken answer hung before him, taunting him with a memory all too vivid. The reality was all too true.

'... Well, as long as they don't push their luck, they're nothing to stress about.' Shaking away the last few traces of unbidden memory from his head, he halted in his survey of the trainees.

"Okay, the lot of you, cool off with a lap around the island, then wash up for lunch," he ordered. "You've got an hour to find edible whatever and bring it back to be tossed into the pot. First come, first to cook, first served. Got it? Now get outta here, and **pick up the pace!!!"**

The exhausted recruits paused to catch their breaths, then began the long trek along the island's coastline that awaited them.

Heaving a sigh, the training officer strode over to a solitary, weatherbeaten log cabin at the edge of the training camp. He entered, suddenly tired.

Little adorned the medium-sized room—simply a hard and unforgivingly stiff cot, a termite-eaten chest of clothing, a decrepit wooden table that just barely functioned as a desk, and an uncomfortable oaken chair. The furnishings were shabby and spartan at best, but did he give a damn? No.

The brunet man went over to the desk and flipped through a sheaf of papers, then tossed them back down. "More paperwork I gotta deal with," he groused, reaching for another untidy stack of forms to skim through. "'Reasons Regarding Request for Order of Restraint and Mandatory Demotion... Constant Use of Perverse Language and Disrespectful Colloquialisms in the Presence of Superiors... Five Cases of Altercations Involving Serious and/or Fatal Injuries to Civilians, and One Case of Assault With Intent to Kill a Commanding Officer...' Yeah, right, what a load of..." Here he used an expletive that would be very improper to repeat. "Seriously. There were only **four** scuffles with pirates** who posed as civilians**, the majority of whom had managed to evade capture. And **somehow** I **accidentally** beat my commanding officer into a bloody pulp in the process. It was hardly **my** fault he got in the way." He had been adamant that it had been an accident, but did the idiots at Marine Headquarters believe him? No.

His shuffling of papers revealed a brown leatherbound volume that had been buried beneath a mountain of months-old ignored paperwork. "Eh? Where'd this come from?"

A cursory glance over the blook's blank exterior revealed nothing, so he opened it to the first text-filled page.

"'_The Annals of Marine History, Vol. 28, 1477-1502_,'" he read. "'The Pantheon of Acclaimed Mariners and Legacies of Notable Bravery and Valor'—You've gotta be kidding me." His eye began to twitch. "This retarded thing? It **had** to have been written—and censored—by both that annoying clique they call a 'government,' and the other bunch of idiots who **think** they control the sea, but don't." He shut the book. "I should chuck this shitty piece of propaganda away while I can, before some dumb trainee comes along and becomes brainwashed by it."

As he tossed the volume off to the side, it bounced off the wall back onto the table, face up and open.

"Damn it! Maybe burning this annoying shit would be better," the sergeant major growled, shooting the offending object a laser-like glare. He grabbed the book by one of its cover ends, about to throw it into the dusty and soot-ridden fireplace, when suddenly a small, black leatherbound book fell out onto the floor.

"What the hell?" The hazel-eyed man examined the volume in his hand, from whose inner pages he found, upon further inspection, a rectangular box-like space that had been cut out to accomodate the smaller book. He reached down to retrieve the fallen object. "What is this?"

* * *

The two marine recruits Sei'i and Akino had hit it off as soon as they met, becoming immediate friends. It was due to this affinity that the two decided to run together around the island as per the training officer's orders. 

Enjoying the all-encompassing presence of unsullied nature around them, they jogged at a steady pace, chatting amiably. The forest exuded wild serenity from its multiple-hued greenery. To their right shimmered the iridescent cerulean waters of the Grand Line. Golden sand beneath their feet glowed warmly from the bright sun above. Hardly a cloud graced the azure heavens.

"The weather's so nice today!" Sei'i exclaimed happily, exulting in their run through the fresh ocean breeze.

"Yep," Akino agreed as she swept back a stray lock of auburn hair, also enjoying the invigorating atmosphere. "This island's climate is definitely much less acrimonious than back home."

"Oh, right," the green-eyed brunette remarked, suddenly remembering. "Where exactly did you come from? 'Eijiyas,' was it? I know there's been some stuff going on from what you told me yesterday, but what is it exactly? I mean, what does Eijiyas do; what is its culture; what are the people like?"

"Like most islands of the Grand Line, we build ships, fish, and engage in general commerce." Akino smiled crookedly. "We also engender strife and emaciated citizens, as well as breed commoners proselytized to criminal activity, allow corrupt government officials infatuated with wealth and power to exacerbate our already crumbling democracy, and participate in the promotion of illicit exports."

"Umm...ha, ha?" The younger girl was uncertain how to react to the glaring contrasts.

The redhead's expression suddenly became serious with a bridled intensity. "Have you ever heard of the Nightshade Yanagi?"

Sei'i shook her head.

"It's a willow-like plant indigenous to Eijiyas—as far as anyone knows, that is, considering the fact that the other side of the Grand Line is largely unexplored by all but Gold Roger and the Yonkai."

"My brothers heard that it was called the 'New World,'" Sei'i remarked thoughtfully.

Akino nodded. "That's right, it is. Anyway, the Nightshade Yanagi is harvested from an enclave deep within the center of the extinct volcano Vesyubas. The Eijiyans take the leaves and blooms, then prepare them in various medicines to create a sort of panacea for most injuries and illnesses, save for several dozen of the most malignant dieseases. Due to its limited availability and almost insatiable demand, the Nightshade Yanagi has become one of Eijiyas' chief exports."

"A cure-all? That's so awesome! Imagine how much it could make everyone's lives better!" Sei'i's eyes sparkled at the idea.

'A panacea isn't necessarily a good thing.' Akino stared forward, grim-faced as she jogged. 'People beome less cautious, more dependent on its "magic," less appreciative of the value of life. And then there's the other thing...'

"But the Nightshade Yanagi also has a dark secret known by very few people," the redhead said aloud. "When prepared a certain way and combined with its own twigs or bark, it becomes a highly addictive drug, an undetectable potent poison, even"—here she smiled wryly—"a rather **too** effective aphrodisiac.

"As an inevitable result of the Nightshade Yanagi's high profit in the markets and its even higher demand in the **black market**, criminals, pirates, and other wrongdoers have been attempting to illegally smuggle shipments of the plant. Our government has been attempting cessation of such illicit activities for many years now, but extortion, bribery, and blackmail have repeatedly negated our efforts.

"So you see, corruption is inexorable—particularly in my country—and undoubtedly ubiquitous; no country, government, group, or organization is ever free of corruption. Not even the Marines."

Sei'i ran silently, shaken. Akino's revelation shook her, changing her naive perspective of the world drastically in the time it took the woman to tell it.

'Is it really possible?' she wondered, appalled. 'Is the world truly as wicked and terrible as Aki-chan says it is? I know that it's imperfect, but...**this?** I really **don't** know anything, do I? I've been sheltered all my life, blissfully unaware of the corruption of the world, and now this is the result. Now my ignorance slaps me in the face.'

The brunette bit her lip, then made her decision. She wanted—no, **needed** to know. She needed to understand, to comprehend Akino's situation, her feelings. "Tell me more."

"Huh? But—" Akino slowed.

She raised her green eyes to look Akino in the eye. "Tell me more about you and your country. I want—no, I **must** know. About the strife. The death. The corruption. Things I don't understand. Everything. And don't forget the good points, either. Times of peace and prosperity. Happiness. The parents who raised you. The friends you enjoyed life with. All of it. Don't leave anything out." Her gaze softened. "Please. I want to understand."

For a moment Akino looked frightened, uncertain whether it would be wise to divulge.

_"You must learn to trust people, Akino-san."_

'Len...I—I can't. Don't you remember what happened back then? You betrayed me. That day among the sakura blooms...'

_"Give people a second chance."_

'... You almost killed me. If Nagasa-nii hadn't intervened...'

_"I made a lot of mistakes in my day, Akino-san. Too many to count."_

'... If I let my guard down again, **I'd** be making a mistake.'

_"I made mistakes because I was young and foolish, easily swayed by promises of riches and luxury."_

'It's too late, Len. I can't afford to trust anyone. That means not even Sei'i.'

_"So my death meant nothing to you? Is that it? I broke your trust, so now you never trust anyone anymore?"_

'That's how it works, I guess. **You** would know, after all.'

_"... Ameyo wanted to join the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan too, you know."_

'W-what?!? But she never—'

_"That's right. She never joined me. She cared about you enough to sacrifice her own desires in order to protect you from more pain."_

'But then—'

_"Remember, Akino-san... __**I**__ was the one who had made a mistake. Not you. You were right to trust your instinct; I never would have tried to harm you had I not been manipulated so easily by a monster."_

'Len...'

_"Learn to believe in another person again. __**Trust her."**_

Her expression slowly went from ambivalent to relieved as she spoke, her words giving her the strength to go forward. "All right. I'll tell you everything." She grinned, almost back to her usual self. "But you'd better brace yourself, 'cause it's gonna be a long one."

"Yosh!"

Before Akino could begin, however, a sneering voice interrupted her. "How **poignant.** The classic sob story. I must say, that was quite the tale: You nearly had **me** teary-eyed. **Not." **

**

* * *

**'Looks like I'm the first to arrive,' the dark-haired recruit noted, his pale gray gaze sweeping over the training base campground as he dumped the fruits of his morning trek's labor into the cauldron of boiling water. Various mushrooms, herbs, berries, and an edible insect or two fell in and began to simmer: not a particularly appetizing repast, but it would suffice. After tossing more wood into the fire, he stood back and watched as the pottage began to lightly churn. 

The heavens and the ocean were tranquil, yet a settling of uneasiness began to stir within himself. 'Something's going to happen today...'

Detecting movement, he turned his head. The serious-faced brunet from before glared through long bangs as he tramped across the campground, a slain rabbit slung over his back. Throwing the animal down at the other Santōhei's feet, the beryl-eyed trainee spat, "You're welcome to skin it if you like; I don't give a damn," before stomping away.

As the raven-haired youth kneeled to deftly skin the furry mammal with a Standard Marine-Issue Hunting Knife, he delved into focused contemplation. The knife blade brushed against a recent gash on his forearm.

'That Kourino recruit... He exudes a familiar aura...yet I don't recall ever having met—or even **seen**—him before.' One last slice, and the rabbit would be ready to throw in. "So why the familiarity...?" he murmured aloud, tossing the meat into the pot.

Adding several more branches for fuel to make up for the extra ingredient, he headed for the stream to rinse off his bloodied hands and knife. Although he was no stranger to the metallic odor and warm texture of life-giving liquid, his mind regardless fell back into the haze of painful memories vainly suppressed.

Memories that not even an assassin anesthesized to human will, desire, and emotion could resist.

* * *

"Th-that voice..." Akino paled. 

"Who's there?!" Sei'i demanded, her focus on the forest—the source of the mocking voice. "Under the authority of the Marines, I order you to reveal yourself!!"

Laughter rang out, derisive and challenging. "A freaking marine **trainee** is ordering a member of the **Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan **(Way of Peace Pirates) Oh, this is rich...!"

"A pirate!?" The brunette's dark emerald eyes narrowed. "What's a pirate doing at a Marine training base?! That's practically suicide!!"

"Not if you're a member of the infamous 'Way of Peace Kaizokudan,'" her auburn-haired companion hissed through gritted teeth. "Just one member could annihilate **five** training bases in **one sitting!** One as diminutive as ours is easier for them to finish off than a bite-sized mochi (sticky rice cake)!!"

"Eh?!? Is mochi really that hard to eat?!?"

Akino slapped her own tanned forehead, sweatdropping. "That's not what I meant..."

"Oh, sorry... You meant that they're really strong..."

"Pffffffttttttttttt!!! **Bwa**hahahahahaha!! Man, these new recruits are a bale of laughs!" chortled a second voice from within the forest.

"Idiot!! The term is '**barrel** of laughs,' not **'bale'**!!!" berated the first voice. "How in all Four Blues did I get paired up with **you**, of all people!?!"

"Oi, **I** didn't ask to be your partner **either**, Hanatarou (Flower Boy)!!"

"It's **Hanabiyo** (Fireworks Night), you numbskull of a cousin!!!"

"That's a funky name, you know."

"Shut up so we can take care of these two before they report our presence to the rest of the trainees!!! Have you forgotten our mission!?!"

"Oh yeah, right, right, I did forget..."

"You have absolutely **no** compunction whatsoever, do you?!"

"... Whazzaellzat?"

"Oh, forget it..."

"Uhh...I've already forgotten."

"Just go already!"

Two masked men leaped onto the beach, ready to annihilate the two marines in training.

Two trainees that weren't there anymore.

As a crumbling leaf swept by, the first masked man glared at his partner. "This is all your fault."

* * *

"So tell me—where are we going?" Sei'i panted as they navigated their way through the forest, an obstructing branch almost smacking her in the face as she spoke. 

Sweat soaked the redhead's brow as Akino replied, "Back to the training base." Her pale, cloud-blue eyes scanned the skies above, seeking the position of the daily golden orb known as the sun. "Turn right by about thirty degrees; we need the most direct route possible, and judging by the growing density of this forest, we're not going to get very far in this direction."

Sei'i nodded. "Right!"

As the two young women altered their course, Akino's mouth thinned into a hard, grim line. 'Those heretics...!!'

"... Who are they?"

"Hn?"

"Those guys—the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan—Who are they exactly? And how do you know so much about them?"

Akino was silent.

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" her brunette companion demanded. "Since we first met, you've been revealing more knowledge about these things than a normal marine recruit would know. I've been asking around the camp about Hitome no Wahei, and no one who's bothered to answer me knows anything about him! And another thing: Why do you seem to hate the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan more than other pirates? I've overheard you talking with the others, discussing the 'purging' of the Blues and the Grand Line of 'evil' and the like—But you never seemed to have a passionate loathing towards the Bellamy Kaizokudan, the Akagami Kaizokudan, the Kurohige Kaizokudan, or even the Shirohige Kaizokudan. So what gives?"

For a moment, Akino did not answer. Then, slowly, her clenched fists shaking, "Would you condone the profane actions of lowly criminals who claim to ameliorate the burdens, pain, and suffering of your country—yet secretly aggravate the turmoil—and subversively promote blind servitude? Would you stand back and do nothing to stop the corruption that daily permeates every inch of the 'home' you love?"

Sei'i said nothing, unable to respond, so shocked was she by the redhead's passionate words.

Akino's face twisted in anguish. "Sorry. It's just... You don't know what Eijiyas is going through. You know nothing about the desperation...the starvation...the fear that has run rampant throughout the entire kingdom." Saline streams ran down her cheeks as she tried to hold back growing sobs. "No one recognizes the King's power anymore—not the most poverty-stricken peasant; not even the court's highest officials. I...am the only one left...who believes...in his goodness..." She surrendered to the insurmountable despair that had welled up within her for so many years, Sei'i kneeling to comfort her.

"Why!? **Why!?!** _**Why must my country suffer so?!"**_ the blue-eyed young woman lamented through bitter tears, her nails fiercely digging into the moist earth.

"Akino-san..."

Suddenly, an all too-familiar burst of laughter sounded in the trees.

"It's them!" Sei'i exclaimed, rising to her feet.

"Aw, does the little princess want a recompense for her troubles?" Hanabiyo's voice rang out mockingly.

"She's probably mad that for the last five years we've been able to circumvent her every effort to stop us, and that we've repeatedly sabotaged with success any chances of restoring her so-called 'peace' to Eijiyas," snickered the other pirate.

"Sh-**SHUT UP!!!"** Akino screamed, glaring balefully through tears at the general vicinity of the voices' origin.

The two pirates simply laughed at her present psychological infirmity, their guffaws ringing throughout the forest.

Akino shook with silent rage. "Ideals...are expendable. People...are **not."** She glared up at the trees. **"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST TOY AROUND WITH THE LIVES OF INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS LIKE THIS?! JUST WHAT WILL ACHIEVING YOUR OWN ENDS AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS GET YOU?! FAME?! POWER?! GLORY?! RICHES?! SUPERIORITY?! ALL OF THAT IS EPHEMERAL!!! NONE OF IT WILL LAST YOU INDEFINITELY!!! SO WHY CRUSH THE WILLS, THE HOPES, THE **_**DREAMS**_** OF INNOCENT PEOPLE STRIVING TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD?! FOR WHAT END CAN COMMITTING EVIL ACTS BE JUSTIFIED?! ANSWER ME!!! I DEMAND AN ANSWER!!!"** Her fists slammed into the ground.** "THE **_**WORLD**_** DEMANDS AN ANSWER!!!"** Her voice cracked as wracking sobs prevented her from continuing.

Silence. And then a reply, grand and proud, bone-chilling in its euphemistic implication.

**"It is time to bring about a new age!! The Great Age of Piracy must end!!! And the Great Age of Heiwa will take its place!!!" **

* * *

Here are the replies to your reviews! 

Nehszriah—Your brother distracted you with a "shiny"?? ...I don't want to know... "Foosh"??? Okay...right... So you got a funny feeling? Hee. And no, it's not that Sergeant Major doesn't like girls; he's just sick of seeing so many marines bring brainwashed by the mantra of "Absolute Justice." And yeah, Akino **does** like to talk. I'm starting to worry, though: Akino's turning out to be a more open, talkative version of Vivi, which was never my original intention...


	5. Ch 5 Sorekara, Motsure wa Hajimeru

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 5/29/2007, early July 2007  
****Published: 6/10/2007**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
****Disclaimer: I do not own ****One Piece****. Period. Got it? Good. But all the OCs and original plotlines in here are of my own creation, and YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO USE THEM WITHOUT MY CONSENT!!!**

**Dedication: To Mr. K., the catalyst (sort of) for this fic (including this chapter)! (Seriously, though, Mr. K.: it's rather frightening how nearly all of our vocab packets have worked well with this fan fiction...) And also—TO MY WONDERFUL, FAITHFUL READERS!!! ESPECIALLY NEHSZRIAH-SAN!!! Thanks a bunch!!! This story is also dedicated to Lord of the Shadows and ****AR1502599, both of whom have been such good friends and support during the making of this and the previous chapter...and who have also not yet run away frightened by my otakuness. (Then again...Lord of the Shadows, you're worse than I am...COUGH)**

**A/N: Shoot... This chapter wasn't supposed to come out so early; I'd intended to finish chapter three of ****Calm Tempest**** beforehand, but...well...my English class was assigned another two vocab stories... --  
****Hmm... A short chapter, in my opinion, but I prefer ending it this way, rather than dragging it on and on.  
****Again, the sergeant major is still nameless because I don't have a name for him yet. I'm open to suggestions, though. I'd swear that I had a name for him, but I think I forgot it...  
****Be on the lookout for little clues and hints dropped here and there throughout the story. Heheheh...  
_REVIEW REPLIES ARE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!!! _  
**

* * *

**Training Day Five: Sorekara, Motsure wa Hajimeru**

The brunet sergeant major growled angrily through several long-dead cigarette butts, silently griping at the fact that his stipend wasn't enough—would **never** be enough, really—to make up for this hell he was being put through. "Eyewitness accounts" would later say he'd gone through three packs, but any GLMTBase003 trainee present at the time would swear on their own battle scars that he was nearly through his seventh.

"Where the hell are Tashikame, Arisuto, Takehito, Yokurui, Kanshi, and the Hayashii cousins!?! Night's fallen, and all the other trainees—even the stragglers—have arrived!!!"

He swiveled in his mad pacing of the training base grounds to accost an unwary recruit. "Namiki!!! When was the last time you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, felt, or even **dreamt** of any of the absentees!?!"

The blonde flushed, completely flustered by the marine officer's extreme proximity to her face. "Er—I—well—erm—"

Frustrated, he moved on to the next Santōhei, a raven-haired beauty possessing sensuous emerald-green eyes. "What about you, Sakanmyō!?! You seen any of them!?!"

"Hmm...let me think..." the young woman purred, twirling a luscious dark lock around her pale, slender finger. "You know, dear Sergeant Major, sir, I do believe I have. I...**spent some time**...with Eishi-kun a few hours ago." She smiled indulgently. "That was perhaps...oh...say, three hours prior to this little get-together we have here?"

The sergeant major eyed her suspiciously, unwilling to take the recruit's suggestive implication of her relationship with the Kanshi recruit seriously.

The girl frowned as a thought came to her mind. "But...then that annoying Yokurui fellow came charging into our spot, trying to murder, so it seemed, my dear Eishi-kun. I may have a weak spot for the strong and silent type, but really, that young man has absolutely no **elegance."** Her smile returned. "Unlike dear Eishi-kun, the very **epitome** of class and refinement."

The other trainees rolled their eyes at the stereotype.

Ignoring her little speel, the sergeant major turned to the rest of the group, ready to castigate and cuss out each and every one of them for being such incompetent marines—a gratuitous accusation, indeed, and one made in heated fury, of course, but then, that was the marine officer's style. "All right, then, is there anyone else who's got something to contribute?"

A rather small and young recruit possessing a rather subservient manner stepped forward through the suffocating silence and spoke. "Sir, I believe I may have something to say... To be honest, I didn't think it had any relevance to the missing recruits, but, well, it **did** seem rather odd to me at the time..." She paused, wary of continuing.

"Keep at it," the man grunted, lighting another five cancer sticks.

The mousy-haired recruit nodded slightly, staring wide-eyed at his blatant, colloquial manner and the mass resurgence of carcinogens burning in his mouth—both of which a small-town girl like her was still not quite accustomed to.

"Well, being how small I am, I was straggling behind everyone else," she said nervously, her hands fidgeting. "So while I tried to catch up—"

"Being small ain't no excuse for shitty speed," the marine officer interrupted. "I knew a couple kids who could outrun **Skypieans on land,** much less a bunch of sorry recruits like all of you." He jabbed an unlit cigarette in her direction. "So don't even **try** to dish me up any of that bull about having to be long-legged to be fleet of foot."

"Y-yes, sir." Her head bowed in shame. "A-anyway, as I was saying, I'd noticed something **odd** about four or five hours back. I believe it was...yes, it **was** him...Takehito-san. He was talking to someone on a portable Den Den Mushi about...well, I'm not certain what it meant, but I believe it went something like this...

_"'Well? How are units M and H? They in position yet? ... What about the "Largesse"? ... Well, then, get that to Eijiyas asap! We need to frame Target A long before the report of her "untimely demise" gets out!! As in __**within the next hour,**__ considering the fact that her obituary is about to be released at sundown!!! ...Speaking of which, her interment's at dawn. Do you think I should go and enjoy the show? No, nevermind, I've more important things to take care of at the moment; I've no time for frivolities at such a crucial stage in our plans._

_"'How are Teams "Epitaph", "Permeation," and "Exodus"? So they're all in position? Good. They all know their cues better than their own memories, so everything should work to perfection._

_"'Eh? What the hell are you talking about? No, no, no... Team "Omni" is our __**last resort,**__ alright? Do you __**not**__ remember what happened to Atolshima the last time we sent them out on a mission? The island freaking __**sank,**__ okay? I was lucky to get off when I did; I still possess the scars and lacerations to prove it. "Omni"'s rendition of "no witnesses, no traces" is a massive explosion worse than a __**Marine Buster Call. **_**That's**_ why we don't want to use that team, got it? They're on a level far, far beyond ours—even __**mine.'"**_

"'Omni,' huh?" a recruit repeated aloud, grinning with mischief. Elbowing some of his fellow recruits, he remarked, "Does that stand for omnivorous, omniscient, or omni-endowed?"

No one laughed or acknowledged his poor play at a pun.

"Oh, I see how it is; everyone hates the funny one, huh? Yeah, well, just wait until ol' Makui makes it big; then you'll be sorry."

**"Shut."** The sergeant major ground his teeth. **"Up." **

* * *

From within the forest's cover of night, Takehito silently cursed. 'Damn that rookie! I couldn't even hear her footsteps!' 

His eyes narrowed. 'Such stealth would be a valuable asset to our organization... But nevermind that. It's inconsequential in comparison to the magnitude of our new problem: the involvement of the Marines.'

"All right, then," he heard the sergeant major continue, the man's voice grim. "If it isn't obvious to the lot of you already, we have a problem here. A **big** problem." He began to pace, his gait slow and measured. "Seven of our number are missing. It appears that one of the missing is the so-called 'traitor in our midst.' By the sound of things, he's working for an illicit organization—most likely pirates. As for the rest of the MITs, only God knows **what** their affiliation is."

He swiveled to face the trainees mustered not more than half an hour ago.

"According to protocol, I am required to declare such a situation an emergency and contact Marine Headquarters immediately for further instructions. However, Headquarters is full of idiots, considering the fact that all of our facilities—including Den Den communicators—are decrepit and inoperable, having been unused and never replaced for the past, oh, I don't know, maybe—**THIRTY YEARS."**

He beset the trainees with a glare that could kill, as if they were the cause of this predicament.

"In other words, I am going to have to go beyond protocol and take direct control of the situation. Since any effort to find the missing trainees right now would be desultory and most likely wind up exhaustingly circuitous, chasing after them is pointless."

A few recruits shifted uneasily at the idea of abandoning their fellow marines-in-training.

"If you've got a problem with that, then leave the camp. No, leave the damn **island."** The sergeant major ground his burnt-out butts into the grass with the heel of his boot. "I'm gonna be blunt with you: If you tremble at the thought of killing another human, if you think blindly following orders is enough to make it as a marine, if you are willing to cede even a **hair** of justice for any reason whatsoever—**LEAVE NOW."**

The trainees exchanged nervous glances at his prohibitive declaration, but no one made a move to leave.

"Keep in mind that once you stay, you **STAY.** That means you either survive this ordeal or die. Anyone still have second thoughts?"

Several trembled, but still no one stepped forward.

"Good. It'd better stay that way, or else I'll kill you myself." With his foot the sergeant major kicked open the chest beside him, revealing a dozen gleaming rifles that he had secretly, uh, _procured_ with the assistance of an ally in the Arms division. "Now is the time to begin implementing the standard 'Plan A' in situations such as these: holding down the fort. Since we have absolutely **no idea **exactly what we're dealing with here, the best thing to do is stick it out for the next ten days until the supply ship arrives. With communications systems currently inoperable, it's all we **can** do without getting killed."

He tossed a weapon to each of the recruits. "Brace yourselves, 'cause I'm gonna give you a crash course in handling and shooting a rifle. You're all gonna have to master it by dawn."

'Perfect...' thought Takehito from within the shadows. 'An island full of rookies who don't even know how to handle a gun, an incompetent marine officer demoted for insubordination and other various offenses, no ability to contact the outside world...and three teams from the most infamous pirate crew in the region.'

He smiled darkly. 'There's no need to galvanize anyone else from the crew who isn't already here. It's already obvious who the victors will be.'

* * *

**Here are the replies to your reviews! ...as well as a few explanations...**

**"Sorekara, Motsure wa Hajimeru":**** It means "And then the trouble begins." I didn't like the sound of the title in English, and it sounded better in Japanese. The Japanese word for trouble that I used here (motsure) is different from "nayami," what you would normally use in this situation. "Motsure" means "a tangle, entanglement, snarl, difficulty, or snag," while "nayami" is simply "a worry, agony, distress, or problem." I chose "motsure" because I felt that the chapter had (and future chapters will have) deeper meaning, although I probably still could have used "nayami"...**

**MIT:**** A play on MIA, it means "Missing in Training." The "s" added to the end should be obvious, I would think...**

**Takehito: Gah, Takehito's so cocky it's irritating... Can you guess who he is/might be? **

* * *

Mr. 4—Well, I'm glad it's interesting, but—Hey!! Don't fall asleep!!! 

Eternally Jinxed—Yay!! I'm glad there are Marine fans and pseudo-Marine fans out there!!! I liked that "Justice" line too... (grins) Yep, there's history behind everyone...but I still need to give the sergeant major a name... "This is all your fault!" Yeah, that one made me grin like crazy...

Nehszriah—Foosh...LOL. Sorry this chapter was so long, but I didn't like it when I considered cutting it off sooner... (shrugs) I read your fic!!! Hee.


	6. Ch 6 Confrontation

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
****By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 6/10-11/2007, 8/30-31/2007  
****Published: 8/31/2007**

**Rating: T  
****Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
****Disclaimer: I do not own ****One Piece****. I wish I did, but it's a futile dream and desire. However, all the OCs and original plotlines in here BELONG TO ME!!! YOU MUST HAVE MY PERMISSION TO USE THEM!!!**

**Dedication: To Mr. K., the catalyst (sort of) for this fic (including this chapter)! (It's still scary how our vocab packets have coincided with this fan fiction so well... I'll miss them so much...) And also—TO MY WONDERFUL, FAITHFUL READERS!!! ESPECIALLY NEZCHAN!!! Thanks a bunch!!! Lord of the Shadows and ****AR1502599, you are really faithful friends. I'm still amazed you haven't run away from fright at my otakuness. (Then again...Lord of the Shadows, you're worse than I am...COUGH)**

**A/N: HA!!! MADE IT JUST IN TIME!!! (barely...)  
****This is a partial continuation of Chapter Five's vocab story... If you were all expecting a big fight between Sei'i/Akino and Hanbiyo/his cousin, gomen... That's just how the fic turned out, as I initially was going to put their fight scene in there, but, well, things change...**

**Again, be on the lookout for little clues and hints dropped here and there throughout the story. Heheheh...  
**_**REVIEW REPLIES AND EXPLANATIONS ARE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!!!**_

**-------**

**Training Day Six: Confrontation**

She never desired it, but the scent of eucalyptus always invoked memories of Ameyo.

_"In the language of flowers, the eucalyptus is a sign of protection."_

Ameyo, her handmaiden, her **friend.** The one who had taken her place all these years.

_"So I'll always wear it in my hair as a reminder to the both of us that I shall protect you always."_

She was gone now. She had died protecting her.

_"Akino...thank you."_

Why had she thanked her? It was **because** of her that she had died.

_"I'll never forget the wonderful moments we had, the three of us. They'll remain with me even as I enter Heaven."_

The scent of lilies, bleached pure white by the scorching Eijiyas sun, were always reminiscent of Len.

_"Akino-san, I'm going to see the world. Remember our good times by picking these whenever you two miss me."_

The white lily, a symbol of youthful innocence. She'd lost that innocence long ago.

_"Ameyo...step back. I'm here for Akino."_

Len had killed her, killed **Ameyo**, their dear friend.

_"I could never hurt you, Akino-san. I realize that now. Ameyo's dead. That's enough for Wahei-senchou; no one but you and I will ever know what truly happened here, will ever know that I did not assassinate the true heir. I will make sure of that."_

And then, grieved by his actions, Len had pressed the pistol against his temple.

_"Good-bye, Akino."_

For the first time in his entire life, he'd left the honorific from her name.

_"Good-bye."_

And pulled the trigger.

_**"LEN!!!"**_

**-------**

**"AKI-CHAN!!! **_**AKICHAN!!!**_** Wake up!!!"**

Akino snapped from her reverie, the intermingling scents of eucalyptus and lily dissipating as reality rushed back into clear focus. From Akino's blurred view, Sei'i appeared to materialize from nowhere as she kneeled adjacent to the auburn-haired woman, her emerald eyes reflecting concern, then relief.

"Good, you're awake. I was afraid you were..." she trailed off.

Akino sat up, then clutched her head tightly as her world swayed. "What...happened?"

"Those men threw a bomb at us, and then we ran through the forest... You were knocked unconscious by the blast."

"Where's...that scent...of eucalyptus...and lilies...coming from...?"

Sei'i took a look at their surroundings. "I think we're in a field of white flowers of some kind..."

"That must be it. It explains a lot..." Her head a bit clearer, Akino looked up. "Where did those pirates go?"

Sei'i gasped. "I'd completely forgotten! I think we lost them..."

"Mattaku..." Akino slapped herself in the head, then winced in pain as she gingerly rubbed a mikan-sized lump on her temple. "Oww..."

The brunette gasped. "Are you okay?!?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... What's more important is that we get back to the training base as soon as possible so we can warn the others."

"Are you sure you'll be able to walk?" The concern returned to her eyes, eyes almost as dark and deep as the aromatic leaves that reminded Akino of Ameyo.

_"Akino-san...remember..."_

She smiled, the troubled gaze of her sky blue eyes softening into that of relief. "I'm good, Sei'i. Let's go, shall we? They need us."

"Yosh!" The brunette nodded gaily as they set off, her youthful innocence overflowing amidst the soft white flowers whispering beneath their feet.

**-------**

"S-Sergeant Major, sir, may I ask a question?"

"Eh?" The brunet-haired man looked up from his meditative position seated upon a chair propped in front of his poor excuse for a cabin, and glared at the saluting marine trainee who had dared to interrupt his train of thought. "What is it?!"

"Ah—Er—Um—That is—" the trainee stuttered.

"Well? Spit it out! You're wasting my time!" the marine officer growled.

"H-hai, sir!" The trainee saluted again, more out of intimidation than respect. "My question is: If the pirates succeed in penetrating our defenses—what do we do?"

The other marines turned to face the sergeant major, their expressions equally expectant. The trainee was right to ask this. After all, they, a group of trainees still green behind the ears, were about to face one of the deadliest known pirate crews in this region of the Grand Line: the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan. The greatest likelihood was that they would all die in this confrontation—so better to go out fighting with an actual **plan and backup plan**, right?

"First of all, that ain't gonna happen so long as you all do your jobs," replied the sergeant major, lighting another cigarette. "Second, I got a few aces up my sleeve we can make use of if we're **really** desperate."

"But, sir—"

**"You didn't let me finish."** He fixed a steely glare on the trainee.

"S-sumimasen, Sergeant Major!! Forgive my interruption!!"

He ignored the young recruit. "However, in the improbable event that the hostiles **do** somehow manage to invade the camp, we will administer a full-charge assault, in which I will be at the vanguard to wipe out the pirates that would only serve to waste your time."

"And how would you manage **that**, Sergeant Major-san?" asked the marine recruit Sakanmyō, twirling a lock of her raven hair in boredom as she leaned on the butt of her rifle. "No matter how strong you may be, you are simply a **sergeant major**, not to mention the fact that the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan is realistically a group of extremist, radical visionaries intent on revolutionizing not only the **world**, but **history itself."**

The marine officer merely grunted as he added another light to the one between his teeth. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

**-------**

"I can't believe we lost them **again!" **fumed a black-stained Hanabiyo as he and his equally gunpowder-covered cousin stormed through the forest's dense underbrush. He turned to his partner. "This is all **your** fault! If you hadn't dropped our X-Bakudans all over the place, we would've gotten those damn recruits for sure!!!"

"It's not **my** fault you weren't looking where you were going," the other muttered through his balaclava, pouting.

"Why do you have to be such a moronic klutz?!" Hanabiyo shouted angrily. "Those things are like land mines!!! And because of your stupidity, we **stepped on them!!!** So how can you say—"

**"Enough."**

Hanabiyo fell silent, having recognized the voice of the new speaker. Both cousins quickly knelt, their left feet put forth to show their loyalty.

"Now is **not** the time to be creating divisions within the organization. **Do you not remember why we came to this island?"**

"Of course **I** do," Hanabiyo snarled, his glare directed toward his brown-eyed cousin. "We came for two purposes: One, to ensure that the late Eijiyan princess's former stand-in does not reveal our true machinations for the Grand Line. And two, to kidnap the daughter of the great Merchant King in order to blackmail him for his resources and power."

"Great to know you aren't entirely incompetent." A nearby branch could be heard snapping in two. "So what's the problem now? Lost again?"

"Uhhh...maybe?" The younger cousin wilted under Hanbiyo's glare. "Okay, yeah, we are. We lost the targets."

A hiss of exasperation escaped from the unseen speaker's lips. "Go east three hundred meters. They should be there." His tone turned dark and threatening. "Don't you **dare** fail this time. **Remember what happened to the Traitor."**

Perspiration dotted the cousins' foreheads as they gave sharp nods of understanding. "Hai, Senchou-sama!!"

"Now go. I have other business to take care of."

The two masked men rose and immediately set off, leaving behind no trace of their movements.

A few minutes passed, and then the flaxen-haired man emerged from the darkness of the forest. He brushed off a stray leaf from his Marine uniform before pulling out a gold pocketwatch from his navy pant pocket. An examination of the time brought a satisfied smile to his lips.

'Good. The three attacks should begin right about...**now.'**

**-------**

It was a well-aimed shot, striking one of the trainees watching the forest, that alerted everyone to the attack.

"S-Sergeant Major!!" gasped the wounded marine, clutching his shoulder in pain. "I've been hit!!"

"Everyone!!" roared the marine officer, leaping to his feet and snatching up his rifle. "Be on your guard!!!" He spat out a cigarette and cocked his weapon with experienced efficiency. "Remember!! Cock, aim, and fire!!! Shoot them before they shoot you, or you're dead!!!"

A lull of shocked silence.

And then the battle began.

**-------**

Suddenly, a rustle in the shrubbery to the man's right alerted him to the presence of another.

"Who's there?!" he demanded, shocked and furious that he hadn't been able to sense the intruder at all.

"What does it matter?" A snort. "Because I happened to be privy to your conversation, you'll try to kill me regardless of who I am."

"That depends." He smiled slyly, recognizing the speaker's offhand tone. "What exactly do you plan on doing with this information you've discovered? Tell that incompetent marine officer?" His laughter was snide, condescending, as he pocketed the watch in his hand. "Not that anyone'd believe you."

"Do what you want on this island," said the speaker harshly, "but **don't** interfere with my training."

"'Training'?" he scoffed. "What are you training for? Especially at this pathetic dump they call a Grand Line Marine Training Base?"

The response was ice-cold. "I have my reasons."

"Ah, a need for secrecy, eh? I respect that." Yet arrogance dripped from his lips like blood. "Still, I must let you know: I can give you a far better offer."

A cautious, suspicious query. "And what might that be?"

His amber eyes glowed as he replied, **"Join me. Join the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan****—and your strength will far exceed that of even the Shichibukai!!!"**

**-------**

"A**HA!!!** We've found you!!!"

**"Aw, hell!!!" **swore the redhead through gritted teeth.

The two masked men had reappeared, one before them and one behind. Both held white balls of dynamite-filled pouches, their arms poised and ready. Thick forest blocked off the girl's sides as well.

They were trapped.

"Guess we've got no choice but to kick their asses, right Sei'i?" Akino asked with a smirk, producing a Standard Marine-Issue Hunting Knife from the leg strap on her calf.

The brunette, a branch in her hands, nodded in agreement. "Right. 'Cause if we don't, the other's'll be slaughtered."

The two masked men laughed deprecatingly.

"You gotta be kidding me! Two little girls against officers of the **Heiwa Michi?"**

"That's a laugh!"

Akino's blue eyes narrowed as Sei'i's emerald irises darkened.

"Let's show these so-called 'pirates' what 'little girls' can do when someone pisses them off!"

"You don't need to tell **me** twice!"

And then the two marines charged with incredible speed wrought from five days of intense training.

"Oh, shit!!!" yelled the pirate duo, throwing their bombs in defensive reflex.

**-------**

"No thanks," was the immediate reply. "I'm not interested in world domination."

"Well, then, if that's the case..." Takehito reached behind his back and suddenly flung a series of shuriken-like blades. **"...then I have no choice but to eliminate you!!!"**

The hidden speaker leaped out from the forest into the clearing, landing smoothly in a crouched position. Their bared forearms, thrown up into a defensive position, were unscathed. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Oh?" The blond, already a step ahead, brought out a jointed fighting staff and quickly assembled the weapon with a deft snap. "And why is that? Did I mess up your hair?"

The figure stood, cracking the knuckles in their right hand. "No. You just pissed me off."

Then the two figures became a blur of white and navy. Black and flax mingled in a dance of rapid movement. Silver and gold flashed wildly as the surrounding forest began to diminish.

And for ten minutes, the entire island became an absence of sound. Color reigned as its only medium.

**-------**

**Here are the replies to your reviews! ...as well as a few explanations...**

**Problems?:** What question/confusions do you have concerning this series? It's been a while since I wrote the greater part of this fic, so...what in this fic is troubling you?

**Nehszriah**—Not too long... That's good to know... What fish?

**Mr. 4**—And you'll keep seeing that snot-thickening...sigh... Umm...good luck helping these guys? (You flew the wrong way...)


	7. Ch 7 Respite and Recovery

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
By Sacred Sakura**

**Conceptualized/Written: 11/20-25/2007, 12/1-2,5/2007  
Published: 12/5/2007—So sorry it's late! "Writer's block **_**baka**_**…"**

**Rating: T  
Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
Disclaimer: I do not own ****One Piece****. But I would be eternally happy if I did.**

**Dedication: Mr. K., Lord of the Shadows, and ****AR1502599. And my faithful readers, especially Nezchan.**

**A/N: A new school year, and thusly a new English teacher. But the vocab stories will continue. Banzai!!!  
Clues are important. Very important.  
REVIEW REPLIES AND EXPLANATIONS ARE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!!!**

**

* * *

****Training Day Seven: Respite and Recovery**

The camp was quiet, save for the cheerful chirping of birds greeting a new day. Dawn had just barely arrived, transforming the skies into a watercolor painting while slowly erasing the final traces of the nocturnal stars that fled from the approaching sunlight. The darkness of the surrounding forest began to fade as glimmering rays of light filtered through the leafy boughs, illuminating the entire island an emerald hue.

The sergeant major glared at the birds' matutinal loquacity from where he stood in front of his dilapidated cabin. It had been a long night, and he was freaking sick and tired of taking crap from damn stupid pirates who had no business in making his already shitty parole in this dump of a training base even more excruciating. Taking a long drag from the two newly lit cigarettes clenched between his teeth, he surveyed the remains of yesterday's battleground.

Debris was strewn everywhere. Rifles snapped in half lay on the ground, the spilled gunpowder threatening to ignite at any moment from the fragments of wood burning here and there. Gaping, smoking holes pockmarked the charred grass of the training camp, remnants of the pirates' various bombs. And half-dried blood drenched everything—the scorched ground, the splintered remains of their hastily made fortifications, the various weaponry employed by both parties, the bodies—both living and dead, marine and pirate—scattered about the training grounds and forest.

During several contemplative puffs, the brunet-haired man ran a hand through his thickening crew cut. Grimacing at the bloody gash in the back of his skull, he wiped the stained hand on his tattered jacket. An attacking pirate had somehow gotten a lucky blow, but that had been as far as the damn bastard went. A fugacious victory, as the man was dead before his body had hit the ground.

Barely discernible rustling and ragged breathing from the shrubs to his left attracted the burly man's attention. He cocked his rifle, prepared to blow the living daylights out of them if they were a pirate.

Eishi emerged from the forest, drenched in blood and barely conscious as he staggered towards the sergeant major. An unconscious and equally bloody Takehito was slung over the dark-haired youth's shoulder. His hair, wild and matted, hung in dark clumps over his clouded gray eyes. The clothing he wore barely covered his slight frame, the white cotton and woolen navy slacks in tatters. Deep cuts and bruises decorated nearly every inch of his body.

The young recruit deposited Takehito before the marine officer's feet and muttered, "There's your damn pirate." Before the burly man could respond, he slowly and painfully made his way to the river, intending to wash off the blood and then sleep off his enervation.

The sergeant major made sure that the traitor marine was tied up for good in his cabin—no sympathetic first aid for this pirate, of course—before redirecting his attention to abnormal movement from the rhododendrons to his left.

"**Thank God,"** breathed Sei'i heavily, pausing a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "I thought we'd never get here."

Akino was not far behind. "I can't wait to take a bath," the redhead moaned. "Or at the very least take a nice long dip in the river."

The sergeant major's reaction was not exactly phlegmatic. "Where the hell were you two?!" he demanded angrily, his hazel eyes blazing. "You've been gone for the past three days, without a single word of your whereabouts!!!" He was about to launch into a stream of colorful vituperations when Sei'i interrupted him.

"Apologies, sir!" the brunette called out, saluting respectfully. "We were in combat with pirates, sir! It was a difficult battle, but we've managed to apprehend two of them!"

'And those guys were bloody hard to fight, too,' went through Akino's mind.

The marine officer inspected the bound and gagged Hayashi cousins and grunted with a vague mixture of approval and irritation. "How many traitors in our ranks do we have?!" he griped.

Sei'i finally noticed the wreckage they stood in. **"Eh?!?** What happened?!?"

"Pirates, that's what," the burly man growled in reply, idly kicking the two captured men at his feet. "We've been at it all day and night—and barely won." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the stream. "Kanshi's back there washing up after his battle with the captain, in case you're worried about privacy."

"Thank you, sir!"

"And quit that "sir" crap! Save it for the ones who actually care."

"Yes, si—Yes, Sergeant Major…?" She trailed off, expectant. For the past week, the marine officer had never even once divulged his name. Sei'i felt extremely awkward being unable to give him a proper title.

The burly man eyed her with a level gaze, well aware that she was inadvertently, in her own naïve way, testing him. But before he could make up his mind on giving a reply, a shrill squeal rang out across the camp.

"Eishi-kuuuuuun!!! You should have told me you'd returned!!! Oh, where have you been all this time?!! I was so lonely!!!" A dark-haired blur whisked past the three in the direction of the stream.

"Um… Was that Sakanmyō-san?" asked Sei'i, sweatdropping.

Another blur sped past them in the opposite direction, a second blur not far behind. "Eishi-kuuuuuun!!! Why do you run away from my love?!!"

"Yep," Akino assented in confirmation. "Totally her."

The sergeant major growled in exasperation. "I swear, I'm seriously gonna kill the damn bastards who assigned me to this base!"

**

* * *

**"I-i-if th-this w-wat-ter w-wasn't s-so c-c-c-old, I'd b-be en-enjoying i-it r-right now," Akino chattered, shivering in the cool stream waters. She rubbed her shoulders fervently. 

"I w-would t-t-tot-tally k-kill f-for a h-hot s-spring r-right n-now," agreed Sei'i, her skin paler than the few traces of clouds overhead. "B-But at l-least w-we're all c-clean…"

The redhead laughed. "T-true enough…"

Both women climbed out of the stream, feeling colder than snowmen on the South Pole, and trudged toward the merrily crackling fire they had made before taking a dip. Over the crackling flames hung their wet clothes, still sopping wet and blood-stained. They seated themselves on the emerald grass and stretched their hands toward the heat for warmth.

"I just don't understand…"

Sei'i looked at Akino curiously. "Understand what?"

The auburn-haired woman shook her head thoughtfully. "It's just that…I find it strange for the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan to even be here, and on a Grand Line Marine training base, no less." Her azure eyes blankly stared into the dancing flutters of crimson and titan as she puzzled over the possibilities. "They had to have had a reason for coming here, and all I can really think of is…well…**me."**

She transferred her gaze to the brunette beside her. "Five years ago, I fled Eijiyas in hopes of finding a way to stop Wahei. I traveled from island to island in search of…something…someone…**anything** that might help." Her gaze returned to the flames. "Yet every time I found a pirate crew or bounty hunter willing to battle the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan for the right price…the next thing I knew, they all died." She gritted her teeth. **"Every single one of them. And they each died horribly."**

"Aki…"

"Three years ago was especially painful. I'd found someone very promising. A surprisingly convivial fellow, and his strength and level of combat skill were irrefragable. He was a bounty hunter who could take down a 30 mil Berii head without a sweat." Here she shut her eyes, tightly, as if the very memory could be forgotten if she wished hard enough. "At the end of the week, I found Yūkō's heart smeared across my window."

The other young woman stared with astonished emerald eyes. She visibly paled at the grisly image that her imagination conjured.

Akino struggled to prevent her voice from cracking. "Afterwards, I continued to search for another worthy fighter or groups of fighters. But one month ago, I finally realized that I had to give up on unconventional means. Knowing that the Heiwa Michi had infiltrated every crevice of the five seas, I wasn't sure I could place my full and absolute trust in the World Government. That's why I didn't want to turn to them from the very beginning. But I had no other options left, so I enlisted."

She pounded her fists on the ground, tears of frustration filling her eyes. **"But they managed to find me anyway!"**

"Akino…"

"I have to stop them!!" the auburn-haired woman declared in a shaking voice. It was all she could do not to fall apart. "They've been promulgating their so-called 'doctrine' throughout the Eijiyan kingdom for so many years now, that it's far too late to reverse the damage that's been done!! Joining the Marines was the only option I had left, and even that plan failed! I just—I just—I just don't know what to **do** anymore!!!"

She slumped over her knees, at the point of giving up everything.

'I didn't realize how much she's been suffering inside,' Sei'i reflected soberly, the gaze of her dark emerald eyes falling pensively toward the crackling fire. 'I wish I could help her somehow, but I'm not sure exactly what **I** could do…"

"_Akino…please listen to me."_

The voice in her mind acted as a catalyst, suddenly activating a hidden switch in her consciousness that transported her to another world, another plane of existence. She sat, crouched in the fetal position, staring into empty darkness. A hand whispered against her shoulder. 'Len…'

"_Akino… There is still a way to stop them."_

'What are you talking about, Len? A way to stop the Heiwa Michi? I've exhausted every option available. You're crazy to even think that they're unstoppable.' Her silent voice was bitter. **'I** was crazy.'

"_So you're giving up? Is that it? Work for five long years to save your country, then quit because it's too damn hard?"_

'I told you, Len. I've tried everything that can be done. But the Heiwa Michi are just too powerful.'

"_You're a fool to think that, Akino."_ The voice grew cold. _"You __**haven't**__ tried everything possible. You've given up long before coming even __**close**__ to accomplishing that. And in conceding defeat so early…you've made our deaths meaningless."_

'But it's true,' she insisted. 'There's nothing more I can do. I've tried bounty hunters, pirates, and now even the Marines, but none of them—'

"_Then what was that I saw yesterday? You and that Tashikame girl took on two members of the Heiwa Michi—and won. Isn't that progress? Not to mention the fact that these trainees managed to hold out pretty well during the battle at the camp."_

'That's because we were starting to find out too much,' Akino argued half-heartedly.

Laughter. _"Really? Are you certain of that? Just what exactly could a group of green-eared trainees know about the plans of the Heiwa Michi, save you?"_

She was beginning to become sick of the voice's meandering words. 'Just what are you getting at, Len? Is there something you know that I'm not aware of, you being connected with the spirit world and all?'

A pause. _"You weren't the only reason the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan came to this training base. In reality, there are several people who have gathered here by sheer coincidence and, also coincidentally, have attracted the interest of my former crew."_

'I don't understand…'

The voice dove straight into a list of trainees, articulating them as if reading from official records. _"First, Yokurui Kourino. Male. Reported Age: 18. Origin: Grand Line. Status: Orphan with unknown history. Abilities: Combat, agility, archery. Weapons: No preference, but extensive experience with bow and arrow. Devil Fruit: None. Other information: Research reveals to be last remaining member of Kanshisha clan."_

'Wait… "Kanshisha"? Isn't that a legendary group of the most skilled archers in the Grand Line?'

"_Next, Kanshi Eishi. Male. Reported Age: 18. Origin: East Blue, but possesses a considerable amount of Grand Line experience. Status: Orphan with unknown history. Abilities: Combat, agility, stealth, infiltration. Weapons: Anything, although katana is preferred. Devil Fruit: None. Other information: Former assassin."_

Her face blanched. 'You don't mean that skinny boy always being chased around by Sakanmyō-san? Considering his salient attractiveness and lack of muscular build, that's hard to believe.'

"_Morioka Meiyu. Female. Age: 18. Origin: West Blue, has visited the Grand Line several times. Status: Orphan living with grandparents. Abilties: Stealth, logistical tactics. Weapons: No preference, but extensive experience with hunting rifle. Devil Fruit: None. Other information: Family history of marines, grandfather retired marine commodore."_

'…Who? I don't believe I've ever matched the name with the face…'

"_Sakanmyō Ryokuna. Female. Age: 19. Origin: Grand Line, resided in South Blue during childhood. Status: Orphan living with aunt. Abilities: Agility in combat, infiltration. Weapons: No preference, but currently training with wakizashi. Devil Fruit: None. Other information: Voluptuous figure may be a distraction to other trainees."_

'Why shouldn't I be surprised?' Akino murmured in amusement.

"_The last one is one you know all too well."_ The voice's grave pause, presaging something she should be made aware of, caused the redhead to listen more attentively. _"Tashikame Sei'i. Female. Age: 18. Origin: East Blue. Status: Living with parents. Abilities: Moderate combat. Weapons: Bow staff. Devil Fruit: None. Other information: Daughter of the Merchant King, male members of family high-ranking marine officers, eldest brother Shō missing since Year 12 of the Great Age of Piracy."_

Akino stared in disbelief. "The 'Merchant King'…? As in '**Kawazō** the Merchant King'? The same man who has been influential in smuggling the Nightshade Yanagi from Eijiyas for the past twenty years?"

"My father did **what?"**

The auburn-haired woman snapped out of her stupor. "Sei'i? Did I say that aloud?"

The younger girl focused a penetrating stare on Akino. "My father was responsible for promoting the corruption of Eijiyas? He was a **smuggler?"**

"… Yes. He was." Akino returned the stare. "But I never realized that you were his daughter…"

"I never knew that my father was involved in illicit activities." Sei'i shook her head hard, as if doing so would cast away such thoughts. "I can't believe that a respectable and successful merchant, a loving father and husband, and a former marine officer would do something like that."

"Someone once said long ago that 'money is the root of all evil.' I guess that applies to this situation perfectly," remarked the redhead. Her attention was diverted to their now-dry clothes hanging above the fire. "Looks like we can put our warmer articles of clothing on."

Despite the serious atmosphere that still continued to blanket them, the brunette giggled lightly. "Aki-chan, **who** says 'articles of clothing' in common speech anymore? Only my grandmother, as far as I know, but she was raised to become a merchant's wife."

Akino, too, smiled, but more at Sei'i's naïveté and simplistic logic than the grandmother remark. As she donned her toasty-warm shirt and navy slacks, the voice returned to speak to her, if only momentarily.

"_Remember to learn to trust people, Akino. No single human can carry heavy burdens all to themselves for long. You in particular need to allow yourself respite if you wish to __abrogate__ your predecessors' laws in the future."_

'… You're right, Len. I should have realized it a long time ago, that if I kept all this pain and silent suffering bottled up inside of me, I would eventually lose myself. I should have realized it when I met Yūkō. But I didn't, and now he's dead. So now…I'll take your advice into account. If she's willing…'

"Eto…ah… Sei'i?"

"Hai?" The young girl paused mid-tie, her fingers hovering immobile about the knot of her neckerchief. "Something up, Aki-chan?"

"The sky."

"… Eh?"

"Nothing; never mind," chuckled the woman whose eyes bore the same pigment as her pun. "But listen, there's something I need to tell you. Something I've needed to tell **someone** for a very long time. Something you've wanted me to tell you since the day we were first confronted by the Heiwa Michi…. It's a story about three children who grew up together, the good and bad times that kept them together and tore them apart, and their fates to present-day…"

**

* * *

**

"What the hell are you doing here?!" demanded the brunet angrily. He glared malevolently at the dark-haired trainee who had just entered his tent.

"Hiding from that annoying woman," Eishi replied curtly as he took a furtive peek through the tent flap.

"I should just call out right now so she'll find you, but I don't want to hear her squeal for the umpteenth time," grumbled Yokurui as he attempted, with difficulty, to bandage his right arm.

Eishi observed the other trainee's struggle. "I'd help you with that, but I'm afraid you'll try to kill me if I do," he remarked sarcastically from his crouched position.

"So would you."

"What are you talking about? What reason would I have to kill you? We got into a bit of a spat earlier, but that was because you started it."

"It's your own damn fault," snapped Yokurui.

"How is it my fault? What did I do?"

"Everything."

"You know, you're not making any sense at all." Eishi crawled forward and snatched the bandage roll from Yokurui's hand.

"Hey!"

He took a bottle of antiseptic from the first aid kit, shook it, and—firmly grasping the other youth's wrist—lightly doused the brunet trainee's arm.

"OWWW!!! What the hell—?!"

Replacing the bottle cap, Eishi then dug through the kit and pulled out a pair of scissors. "Brace yourself. This is going to hurt like hell." He proceeded to carefully cut the large chunk of bloodied flesh that hung limply from Yokurui's shoulder, redirecting he conversation back to the previous topic in an attempt to distract him from the pain. "So why exactly did you choose to pick a fight with me on day three? Your explanations thus far haven't made sense at all."

Yokurui gritted his teeth from two different types of pain. "It's 'cause you're that evil bastard's kid."

Eishi's only response was a blink as he finished cutting. "You're still not being clear." He doused the gash with more antiseptic before applying a poultice of healing herbs.

"You know who I mean." If looks could kill, the brunet's dark moss-green glare would have struck the other trainee dead. **"Kageki."**

Eishi's hands slightly, almost imperceptibly, shook as he wrapped the gauze bandages around the wound in several layers. They trembled not with fear, but with barely restrained anger. "Oh. **That** man."

Done treating Yokurui's wound, the dark-haired trainee sat back and gazed coolly at the other teen. "So what did he do to you?"

Yokurui's eyes flashed with utter loathing. **"He made my life hell."**

**

* * *

****Review replies for the good of the order, explanations, stuff like that.**

**Akino and Len: **It's hard to explain without giving away too much, but about two years after Len's death, right after Yūkō died, somehow Len's "essence" awakened within Akino's spirit, and from then on she could occasionally communicate with her dead friend—but only when he contacted her first.

**Yokurui Kourino:** I'm seriously wondering if anyone'd figured out who this guy was before this chapter. The reason why he's referred to as "Yokurui" instead of his given name, "Kourino," is because he's never actually told anyone his given name. Hence, to avoid confusion, we're sticking to "Yokurui" for now.

**Eishi and Yokurui: **Oh, look, they're acting like little kids. Hee.

**NEXT UPDATE: Late December, sometime on or before Christmas. Depends on my "holiday mood," whatever that means. That, and writer's block.**


	8. Ch 8 Interrogations

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
By Sacred Sakura**

**Chapter Title First Conceptualized: 12/5/2007  
Conceptualized/Written: 12/13,18-20,25/2007  
Published: 12/25/2007**

**Rating: T  
Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
Disclaimer: If I owned ****One Piece****, I'd be vacationing in Alabasta right now. But I don't, so I'm not.**

**Dedication: Mr. K., Lord of the Shadows, and ****AR1502599. And my faithful readers, especially Nezchan.**

**A/N: I honestly would have updated sooner, but I was sick for a week… Anyway, it's up, so that's all that matters. Huzzah! A Christmas update! And not too late, either…**

**I really wanted to include the interrogations in the previous chapter, but then I realized two things: One, that I had writer's block, and two, that it would get too long…. XD So, here it is! Writing detailed descriptions about other people's pain and angst is a little too fun…although things are starting to sound like a soap opera, I swear…**

**Oh, and also: We finally get to learn the sergeant major's real name! Yay! (That is, unless you've seen my preliminary sketch of him on my Deviant Art account; then you already know.) Speaking of which, I've been posting some of my art from past years! Finally! Please go to "sacredsakura DOT deviantart DOT com" to review my work!**

**EXPLANATIONS ARE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER!!!**

**

* * *

****Training Day Eight: Interrogations**

Night had hardly begun to gather its luminous companions in preparation for fleeing the dawn when the entire training camp was rudely awakened by yelling. As the bleary-eyed marines crawled haggardly out of their dew-blanketed tents, a thundering voice roared throughout the grounds, followed by loud grunts—and yelps—of pain.

"…Whassgoinonn…?" wondered Sei'i sleepily, rubbing her eyes as strands of hair from her off-kilter ponytail fell over her face.

"Sounds like the sergeant major's going ballistic," mumbled Akino in reply, staring blankly at nothing as she slowly made her way out the tent with the intention of abating her somnolence. "The prisoners must be infuriatingly obstreperous or something…"

"So you're finally awake."

Sei'i furrowed her brow, perplexed by the presence of the stolid dark-haired recruit. "Kanshi-san? What are you doing hanging around the female sleeping area?"

"Waiting for the two of you to wake up," was his laconic reply. With his back to the two girls, he uncrossed his arms to shove his hands in his navy pants pockets. "It's important, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered."

Recognizing the serious tone in the recruit's voice, Akino, fully awake, narrowed her blue eyes. "We're listening."

"You are well aware that the captured pirates are members of the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan, I presume."

"Of course." The redhead's answer was curt as her eyes flashed a dangerous, angry nitrite blue. "What of it?"

"Apparently one of the head commanders—well, to be more politically correct, the **captain** himself—was posing as a marine recruit, one whom…" He paused, briefly. "…Tashikame-san happens to know quite well."

"What are you talking about?" the brunette interrupted, now fully alert, before he could continue. "I don't know anyone in this camp aside from Aki—"

"Are you certain of that?" he cut in sharply, whipping his head around and piercing her with ice-hued eyes. She stared back, finding his unnaturally adductive gaze impossible to break away from. "What about the one known as **Takehito Watari**?"

Sei'i gasped, shocked that, what with all that had happened the past week, she had completely forgotten about her childhood friend. She was further stunned by Kanshi's insensate accusation. How could **Watari**, dear Watari, become involved with **pirates**? It was unfathomable…and yet…somehow, it all made sense. She had not known his whereabouts since the first day of training, and of course not during the battle, as she and Akino had been battling the two masked men… As for the fact that she had seen little of him during training, and not at all long after the last pirate sword had fallen…it all made sense now.

**

* * *

**Both fowl and squirrels alike eschewed the vine-ridden path that an auburn-haired woman came dashing down. They stared warily as she flew past, her wild auburn hair whipping about in the cool air like a crackling flame. Further sudden movement—a brunette with a determined gaze, slowly followed by a steely-eyed youth who saw more of the world than anyone should ever have to—caused the wild spectators to scamper away in fright. The eyes of all three sprinters reflected jumbled emotions too complex for the animals' comfort. 

Akino tumbled out from the dense underbrush just as a curled figure crashed into the hard ground. "Sergeant Major, sir!" she gasped out, ignoring the motionless body at her feet. "You must allow me to attend this interrogation!!"

"The hell?!" The marine officer glared at the interruption. "What are you doing here, Arisuto?"

"Please, sir! I—"

Just then, Sei'i and Kanshi burst from the wild shrubbery. "Sir! Forgive the intrusion, sir! But it is absolutely **imperative** that Santōhei Arisuto-san participate in this interrogation!!!"

"And why's that?" growled the sergeant major, fixing a death-glare on the new arrivals. He was more than willing to go off on a bilious bawling-out regarding their (entirely untrue) lack of diligence. However, the morning's unfruitful interrogation thus far had somewhat tired him out to the point that he might (albeit grudgingly) hear them out…

**

* * *

**Delicate sun-bleached hair, once silk-soft strands now made dull, heavily soiled by dirt and blood. A well-built torso, the muscles firmly shaped but not sinewy, bruised black-blue and ochre, drenched in blood and enveloped in ghastly wounds that, left untreated, had begun to ooze pus. Strong, manly hands accompanied by long, manipulative fingers, bound tightly with meters and meters of rope, the wrists burned a raw crimson. And cool amber eyes reflecting pain, animal instinct, and something else utterly unreadable, the irises laced with secrets more securely guarded than the world's greatest treasures. 

This was the man kneeling weakly before a very grim Arisuto Akino. A young man, fair, seemingly a mere marine recruit, in reality a pirate captain or commander or whatever the hell he was. A leader—**the** leader?—of the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan. One of the people responsible for the collapse of Eijiyas' governmental, social, and moral structures.

"W-Watari?" The red-haired woman watched as Sei'i used all her strength to resist the desire to rush over to the blond man. "A-are you—that is, I mean—"

"Sei'i," he breathed hoarsely. "I can hardly believe it… That really you?"

"Watari…you're not really…you're not really a pirate, are you?!"

His attempted smile instead twisted into a grimace of pain. "What do **you** think, Sei'i? You really think I'm capable of killing innocent civilians? Marines?"

"I—I don't—I don't know what to think…"

"Sei'i." He closed his eyes patiently, then opened them again, the right more slowly due to swelling. "Look into these eyes. You've known me for **eight years.** Can you detect **any** hint of malice in the eyes of your childhood friend?"

The emerald-eyed girl pushed back a stray coffee-hued lock, wavering. No, she couldn't see anything wrong in those same gilded eyes she had adoringly gazed into all those years ago. They were the same rich amber, reflecting nothing different from before—innocent platonic love, curiosity, the eagerness of youth.

And yet… "… But Aki-chan…"

"Sei'i…I swear to you that I had nothing to do with your friend's pain, nor her country's suffering. You know me, Sei'i. You know I would never do that."

She struggled. "…But Kanshi-san…"

Watari shook his head. "I swear to you, upon my father's grave, that it was all a misunderstanding. I had nothing to do with the pirate invasion, I simply got lost, as usual, but this fellow somehow thought that I—"

"I didn't '**think'** anything," the dark-haired recruit hissed, his voice dark despite the expressionless mask he wore. "I heard you giving orders to **those** two idiots." His eyes briefly flickered in the direction of the bound and gagged Hayashi cousins. "Then, once I revealed my presence, you attacked me."

Watari shook his head. "No, Sei'i. **He **attacked **me.** I suddenly ran into him, and apparently must have startled him into thinking that I was the enemy. Before I knew it, he'd ripped my ear off, and I was too freaked out to stop and explain myself." He eyes offered a silent plea of understanding. "I was afraid he'd kill me."

"But I saw you," interrupted the mousy-haired recruit, stepping forward from behind the sergeant major to speak. "You were talking to someone on a Baby Den Den Mushi about Eijiyas. Something about 'Largesse,' 'interment,' 'Team Epitaph,' 'Team Permeation,' 'Team Exodus,' 'Team Omni as a last resort,' 'Atolshima,' and 'Marine Buster Call.'"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't understand… What is this 'Largesse'? And where is 'Atolshima'? I've never heard of a Marine Buster Ca—" He was interrupted by a swift kick beneath the ribs from the sergeant major, leaving him doubled forward gasping in pain.

"Watari…" Sei'i voice of concern petered out as doubt—and the cold, bitter wind of reality—sank in.

"Cut the act," growled the brunet-haired man. "You should've figured out by now that we're onto you, so you might as well admit who you really are."

The blond man coughed up blood for several minutes, stopping only when he could finally breathe. "Sei'i…please… You have to believe me…"

"S-s-stop it!" the brunette yelled, clutching her ears to block out his voice. "I don't want to hear any more from you, whoever you are! Stop pretending to be Watari, you monster! Watari would never…Watari would **never** do that to other people! He would never make Aki-chan cry! You—" she glared at the man with all the anger she could muster** "**—**You're not Watari!"**

Silence, as Watari stared at the shuddering girl kneeling before him. As he realized that this girl had lost her faith in him. As he realized that no one would believe his story.

And then laughter.

"Yes…yes, you are correct, my dear, **dear **Sei'i," chuckled the flaxen-haired man, sneering. "Your **dear** Watari would never stoop so low as to **corrupt** an entire nation, involve himself in the **smuggling** of illicit goods, or even **murder** a fellow marine recruit in **cold blood."** He laughed again, more cruelly than before. The lost, naïve gaze in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by one cold, calculating, relentless. "But then again, I am no longer the Watari you once knew. I…am now **Hitome no Wahei, leader of the Heiwa Michi Kaizokudan!"**

"No…" Sei'i whispered hoarsely, frozen with her hands clapped uselessly against her ears. "No… Nonononono…"

"Shut your wailing!" snapped the sergeant major, irked by Sei'i's stricken mutterings.

"Ah, yes…" Watari's attention transferred onto the marine officer. "Sergeant Major Shirozaki Jinbu. Formerly held the title of 'First Lieutenant,' until you mistakenly assaulted your commanding officer during a pursuit of pirates in the Yasashii-Tonari islands. What a pleasure it is to meet such a careless marine once again. **Not."**

"Shut the hell up," hissed the hazel-eyed man. "How the hell did you escape and enlist so quickly?"

"…'Shirozaki Jinbu'?" Akino repeated slowly, tasting the name with her tongue. It exuded a familiar flavor. 'Where have I heard that name before…?'

The mousy-haired recruit stared at her superior officer. 'Wait. I know this man. Didn't he…?'

Kanshi's eyes narrowed. '… "The God of Wind"…'

**

* * *

****Explanations for the good of the order, stuff like that.**

**Watari: **Yep, more will be revealed about him in future chapters. Man, his character is so complex it's going to be a pain writing about him…

**mousy-haired recruit:** She will be playing an integral part in the story soon enough… Watch out for that 'black book' back in chapter four…

**Shirozaki Jinbu: **I can't wait 'til I can finally write about him freely!! Oh, and by the way, I write names in the original Japanese format of family name, then given.

**NEXT UPDATE: Let's see… Either late January or early February, depending on how bad homework gets… Did you R&R?**


	9. Ch 9 Unexpected Arrival

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
By Sacred Sakura**

**Chapter Title First Conceptualized: 1/24/2008  
Conceptualized/Written: 1/20-21,24/2008, 2/23-24/2008  
Published: 2/24/2008**

**Rating: T  
Genre: Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
Disclaimer: If I owned ****One Piece****, I wouldn't be stressing over the fact that I need to get working on a crapload of scholarships. But I don't, so my social life is basically screwed.**

**Dedication: Mr. K., Lord of the Shadows, and ****AR1502599. And my faithful readers, especially Nezchan.**

**A/N: The past few months have been really out of whack for me, I swear. I've been swamped with endless amounts of homework since before winter break, and it's barely lightened up since. A thousand apologies for long overdue fics. Please forgive me and have patience!**

**FYI: I've been posting some of my art from past years! Finally! Please go to "sacredsakura DOT deviantart DOT com" to review my work! There are some pics of my OCs in there, although I have a lot more I still need to upload!**

**Requests: Any characters in here you want to see up on DA? Just PM/email me!**

**

* * *

****Training Day Nine: Unexpected Arrival**

Two days had passed since the battle, and the camp was slowly falling back into its arduous routine of blood-and-sweat training. Most if not all of the trainees had recovered enough physically, although pretty much everyone—save for two—agreed that a demand for just a modicum less than one-hundred-and-twenty percent would have been nice. After all, not everyone was as sedulous as Yokurui and Kanshi.

Sergeant Major Jinbu, of course, remained deaf to their grievances. As always.

"Okay, the results of our skirmish with those damn pirates have led me to one undeniable, irrefutable conclusion—THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU HAS BEEN SLACKING OFF!!" He paused in the midst of his menacing pacing to throw a pointed glare at the ramrod-straight line of trainees. "Therefore, we're going to **triple** your current regimen!"

A collective groan filled the grounds.

"And I don't want to hear any of your damned whining! Now **get to it!"**

The marine recruits complied, slowly making their way to the edge of camp to begin their unending morning circuit. Within minutes, a few had already made their first run around the camp and were well through their second and third laps. As the marine officer snarled colorful streams of insults and curses at their supposed lack of celerity, nearly everyone agreed that the man was the quintessential training officer from hell.

A girl of small stature that belied her age slowed mid-run and stared out into the coruscating ocean. Its mellifluous waves danced lightly on the azure surface, a deceptive display that revealed nothing of the waters' true nature and the gargantuan denizens that traversed its depths. As she narrowed her eyes, the peculiarity that had caught her eye moments before began to take more solid shape and dimension.

Sails. Canvas clouds that crossed the vast blue, growing in size as the magnificent galleons approached the island. The sheet-white veils billowed and flapped over the hearty umber of shipwood and pitch, like a workman's uniform of a starched white shirt complemented by brown corduroy pants. Their increasing proximity allowed the young trainee to make out the vivid blue words and emblem splayed across the mainsail.

'"Marines"?' Her brow furrowed. 'Didn't Sergeant Major Jinbu say that the supply ship wouldn't arrive for another five days? Then why are they here?'

Suddenly, someone ran right into her, knocking her to the ground.

"Don't stand in the middle of the beach like some idiot!" The young man swore a couple times at the growing bruise in his arm as he glared balefully through a mess of sepia bangs. "You want to get killed?!"

Nervousness instantly invaded every cell in her body, as it always did whenever she was under even the remotest scrutiny of others. Her soft brown eyes averted from the trainee before her, flickering to the golden sand, the water's lapping waves, the small tufts of grass growing here and there—anywhere but his face.

"S-sorry…" she mumbled, her voice barely loud enough to hear. She hated confrontations; they scared her—in more ways than most people would naturally assume.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He swore again. "This is why I hate stupid people; they don't know what the hell they're doing! And women are even worse!"

She stepped back, now extremely afraid of her proximity to the temperamental Yokurui, who evidently was a misanthropic mysogynist. "I'm sorry…"

"And quit apologizing!" snapped the angry brunet, his piercing beryl-hued eyes flashing. "It's so freaking annoying!"

"… **And WHAT, exactly, is so annoying?"**

A sharp crack could be heard from the necks of both trainees as their heads snapped up—to find the sergeant major glaring down malevolently at them.

**

* * *

**The brunette slowed, then stumbled, finally collapsing in exhausted relief. Her heart continued to race despite weary attempts at regaining lost oxygen in her lungs. Puffs of dust stirred from the earth with each heavy breath.

"I'm so glad it's over…" Sei'i moaned. She lied upon the ground in a primarily prone position, her limbs utterly deadweight. "Only another four weeks, thank God…"

"It's not wise to maintain a horizontal position immediately after strenuous exercise."

"Whaaa…?" Sei'i looked up. "Oh! Kanshi-san! When did you get here?"

"Three hours ago," the dark-haired trainee deadpanned.

"Three—Wait a minute, what time is it now?!" She panicked.

"Breakfast." He inclined his head toward the viscously bubbling pot beside him. "Today is venison stew. A bit on the thick side, but we all need the energy."

The heavenly aroma of well-cooked meat and vegetables hit Sei'i like a falling galleon. Drool gushed like a small brook over her lips.

'I think I'm in heaven…'

Tossing a bowl of stew and a spoon toward the enraptured young woman, Eishi raised an eyebrow. "With a reaction like that from you, I doubt the rest of them will lag behind much longer. It's a west wind, after all."

Just then, Akino stumbled through the shrubbery. "OH. MY. GOD. **WHAT IS THAT WONDERFUL SMELL?!"**

**

* * *

**"YOU! What the hell happened to the demitasse that I ordered fifteen minutes ago?!"

The unwary trainee froze midstep as her countenance paled upon the sound of the man's voice. Turning ever so slowly, cautiously, to face him, she gulped with apprehension.

"Yes, sir?" she responded faintly.

"I get really, really cranky this early in the morning," the man snapped, "and if I don't get my coffee by nine, I **kill** people!"

"Y-yes, sir! Right away, sir!" Not wanting to incite the man's wrath for something she didn't even know about, the trainee quickly dashed away in search of some REALLY strong coffee.

Sei'i looked back to follow the trainee's dusty trail. "Poor Namiki…" she murmured with a sweatdrop and propinquitous understanding.

"Oi! Greeny!"

"…But at least she wasn't saddled with such an annoying cognomen…" she deadpanned. Turning her head to face the man once more, she pasted on an I'm-not-really-irritated-with-you-no-of-course-not expression and struggled to respond politely with a respectful salute, "Sir?"

"Where the hell did you go with my demitasse?!"

"Sir, I was not laid with the responsibility of providing your beverages, sir. I believe that task was set upon Santōhei Kourino, sir."

"Then where the hell is this 'Kourino'?!" the man demanded. "Bring him here so I can fire him this minute!"

"Sir," she began, choosing her words carefully, "I do not believe it is wise to take umbrage at Santōhei Kourino, sir. His abilities and…erm…disposition…are better suited for combat, sir."

"I don't give a damn!" the man yelled, angrily slamming his palms down on the armrests of his chair. "I **refuse** to tolerate insubordination and insurrection from inferiors!"

'…Right.' She sweatdropped again. 'What a supercilious person!'

"I need my freaking coffee…" the man groaned, leaning back. He raised an arm and lazily ran his long fingers through his swarthy, dark chocolate locks, sighing deeply.

"Erm… I am certain Santōhei Namiki will return with your demitasse soon, sir…"

His dark eyes shifted from the trainee camp to the young recruit standing not two meters away. "Your name."

"…Eh?"

The man's voice deepened into a growl. "Give me your damn name!"

"Tashikame Sei'i, sir."

"'Sei'i'…" The man tasted the three syllables the way a connoisseur would an unfamiliar yet curious vintage of wine. "As in 'sincerity,' the kind to be taken in good faith?"

"Yes." She smiled to herself as a warm memory graced her shoulders. "My grandmother gave it to me in blessing." A fond laugh escaped her lips. "She's quite an oddball of an anchorite—not really a hermit, per se, more like she became tired of the responsibilities of being tied to my father's name. So I guess she's more like a nascent hermit than anything else."

Realizing that she was getting carried away, Sei'i flushed in embarrassment before changing the subject—to one that she had originally meant to bring up five minutes previous. "So what brings you to our training base? To my knowledge, the supply ship isn't scheduled to arrive for another five days. Not that we're complaining, considering the circumstances."

The newly arrived marine officer had landed not thirty minutes ago, getting comfortable in Sergeant Major Jinbu's chair—much to the chain smoker's dismay. Refusing to answer any questions regarding his rank, the purpose of his visit, and whether he intended to depart with the captured pirates in tow, he had immediately demanded a double-caff, double shot, extra strong demitasse with whipped cream from the unpleasantly dispositioned Yokurui. Of course, as to be expected, the easily infuriated—and somewhat insubordinate—recruit had stalked off with no intentions whatsoever of fulfilling the man's order.

"Sir?"

The man's dark eyes narrowed. He had come for the purpose of retrieval, and now was as good a time as any to find out "their" whereabouts. And the sooner, the better. He needed to find "them" before any more damage could be done. Before "they" could further profligate unwanted propaganda.

"You want to know why I'm here?" he asked slowly, his low tone growing darker with each word. "They" were a danger, a menace that had to be stopped. "Fine, then. I'll tell you why I'm here."

He rose suddenly and, removing something thin and square from his navy pocket, showed it to Sei'i. It was a snapshot of a blonde woman wearing a lily-white silk tunic. Her long arm was gracefully extended upwards into a canopy of wisteria, as if her slender fingers were about to pick one of the indigo blossoms. But most striking about the woman were her familiar azure-hued eyes.

"I have been sent by the World Government to find and apprehend this woman: **Hinode Fuyuka,** daughter of the former president-king of the Eijiyan kingdom, alias **Sekidō Akino. **_**Do you know where I can find her?"**_

**

* * *

****Explanations for the good of the order, stuff like that.**

**time jump:** Meh, I didn't feel like inserting filler. I had initially wanted to incorporate a discussion between Meiyu (the mousy-haired recruit) and Yokurui, and maybe one between Meiyu and Sgt. Major Jinbu, but then I changed my mind. I wanted to focus more on the arrival of the new officer this chapter, so you'll just have to wait.

**plagiarism:** Some people might call it that. Can you find it?

**a second count of plagiarism:** Oh, yeah, this one too… I didn't realize that until now….

**NEXT UPDATE: Since I suck at updates, I can't give you a specific date for any time before summer break. BUT I WILL be able to get out a chapter or two before then, so no worries, 'kay? Gomen-nasai…**


	10. Ch 10 The Uncrossable Line

_**Grand Line Kaigun'in  
**_**A ****One Piece**** Fan Fiction  
By Sacred Sakura **

**Chapter Title First Conceptualized: **3/20/2008 **  
Conceptualized/Written: **3/16,19-20/2008, 10/12-13/2008 **  
Published: **10/13/2008

**Rating: **T **  
Genre: **Action-Adventure/General/Angst?  
**Disclaimer: **If I owned One Piece, I'd be watching it right now.

**Dedication: **Mr. K., Lord of the Shadows, and AR1502599. And my faithful readers, especially Nezchan.

**A/N: **As you can see, I've been reformatting the pre- and post-story notes to make it easier on the eyes.

**FYI: **I've been posting some of my art from past years! Finally! Please go to "sacredsakura DOT deviantart DOT com" to review my work! There are some pics of my OCs in there, although I have a lot more I still need to upload!

**

* * *

**

Training Day Ten: The Uncrossable Line

It was a rainy day.

The dark clouds above were laced with alternating shades of gray as cold, needle-thin daggers of water pierced the heavy air. Dejected-looking trees and foliage uselessly resisted the cold barrage of moisture as the rainfall increased in intensity. Dark waves surged with fervor as they pummeled the island's coast with unmistakable fury.

Two shadowed figures emerged from opposite ends of the beach and converged beneath a melancholy weeping willow. Narrow wet leaves slapped their arms and faces as they each waited for the other to speak.

The taller of the two finally spoke. "What is it that you so desperately needed to discuss?"

"I need your help. I need that marine officer to leave…and never return."

"Am I correct in assuming this is due to the fact that you are not 'Arisuto Akino,' but the infamous rebel leader 'Sekidō Akino'—otherwise known to those further up the governing and militarist hierarchy as 'Hinode Fuyuka'?"

Akino gritted her teeth at the sound of the speaker's cold voice. "Yes. I am." 'Damn… How could he know so much? Who **is **he?'

"The world has been led to believe that Hinode Shūu currently rules the Eijiyan kingdom with an iron fist, subjecting every citizen to a cruel dictatorship beneath a façade of benevolence. Judging by your present reaction, am I to assume this is false?"

'Who is this Eishi?!' Her fists clenched, her shoulders shaking. "My father is a kind man. He is also a proud man, and because of this would never betray his people." She shook her head. "I myself was expatriated by my very own people. That was five years ago, and even now I still have no one left there who can openly support me in my mission—not even my father."

She raised her head to face the young man before her, determination—and desperation—evident in her blue eyes. "But that is all the more reason for me to keep working toward restoring Eijiyas' former glory and peace—even if I must end the lives of others. Even if it kills me. Too much blood has been shed for my sake for me to back out now."

"Then why didn't you ask your 'friend' Tashikame to do it? Or is she, too, upset by your failure to reveal everything about yourself to your closest companion here?"

Akino paused, momentarily lost in a swirl of dizzying emotions—guilt, regret, and sadness, among others—, before finally speaking. "Sei'i… She's too veracious for her own good. And her sense of justice and morality is admirable. But there are times when you must lie—even **kill**—for the good of everyone." She smiled sadly, remembering the loss of her own sense of virtue. "She's too pure. So that kind of thing…is a concept she will never be able to truly understand."

"Then why not yourself?"

"I don't possess the same sense of pride as my father. Not anymore. The last five years have changed me so much, I barely recognize myself. But one thing for certain has remained the same: I am too kind."

She returned her gaze to the young man standing before her. "That's why I need you. Because you possess such a great dearth of guilt, you're perfect for the task I need you to complete."

Kanshi Eishi stared back at her, his body quiescent and countenance devoid of expression despite her next words. "After all, you **are** a former assassin."

* * *

"I'm telling you, I don't know this 'Sekidō' person," Sei'i insisted with a hint of desperation in her voice. "I've met every single person in this camp, and I've never seen anyone who looks like the woman in this photograph!"

"Are you sure?" the marine officer pressed. He gave the nervous girl a piercing, searching stare. "Look at her face closely. Her hair color. Her eyes. Her figure. The way she holds herself. Are you telling me that there is absolutely **nothing** about her that you even **remotely** recognize?"

The trainee forced herself to keep her green eyes on the wisteria in the photograph. "No…nothing…"

He leaned back and sighed with frustration. "What about that Arisuto recruit Jinbu tells me you keep hanging out with? Sure, she may have dyed her hair, but her eyes are the same, don't you think?"

"It's not her." She paused, then decided to continue. "If it was, I'd know. Or she would have told me."

Sergeant Major Jinbu snorted at this. "Sekidō's been running from the law for five years now. And she couldn't've avoided arrest for this long unless she's an accomplished liar."

She finally tore her eyes away from the photo and focused on a damp footprint in the dirt to her left, slowly tracing a peculiar circular symbol imprinted on the heel. "I've told you all I know. May I be excused?"

The marine officer frowned, displeased by the paucity of the results of his interrogation. However, knowing that at this moment he would not be able to get anything more out of her, he relented. "You can go."

Just as the girl saluted and left the cabin, he turned to Jinbu, the man sitting beside him. "I don't believe a single thing she says."

The hazel-eyed man gave a noncommittal grunt through a haze of cigarette smoke. "What else is new?"

"For now, we have no choice but to have her return for questioning later." Shaking his head, the officer referenced the list that lay flat on the decrepit table before him. "Next to be interviewed is…Morioka Meiyu."

"MORIOKA!" Jinbu roared. "GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!!"

A heavy sigh. "Must you be so…loud?"

Within seconds, a rather loud _thump_ could be heard against the door despite the downpour outside. A dripping wet Meiyu stumbled into the cabin, wincing in pain as she rubbed sorely at a slowly growing lump on her left temple. "Owww… Yes, sir?"

"… What the hell is this?" the superior officer demanded with irritation. "Are we so desperate for recruits that we're robbing cradles now?"

The mousy-haired trainee flushed with embarrassment. Yes, she was small, but not **that** small…

"Can we get on with the damn investigation already?" Jinbu growled with clenched teeth. "If you want to be an effective lieutenant, Shuu, you're gonna have to ignore appearances and go with your gut. Morioka here's packed quite the punch when we needed her most."

The lieutenant scoffed. "Pigs will fly first before this skinny stick knocks out a Heiwa Michi."

"Oh, for crying out loud… Morioka! Does this person look familiar to you?" Jinbu jabbed a callused finger at the photo.

Meiyu pondered a moment. "I don't believe so…"

"Are you sure?" pressed Shuu. "Are you absolutely sure? She doesn't look like one of your fellow recruit members in any way?"

Her brow furrowed. "Her eyes kind of remind me of Arisuto's, but nothing else seems to be the same…. From what I can tell, her hair color, posture, and bone structure are completely different…."

Jinbu raised an eyebrow, surprised by the recondite knowledge evident in her observation. 'When did she become a detective?'

"Anything else, sir?"

The lieutenant waved her away. "No. You can now lea—"

"Wait a minute," interrupted the sergeant major, his tone thoughtful and serious. "Before you go, I just have one question for you, Morioka: **How the hell did you manage to slaughter ten pirates all in one get-go?" **

"… What?" The mousy-haired girl stared in disbelief, petrified by astonishment and an inkling fear. 'How did he…? No…'

"What the hell are you doing?" Shuu demanded, indignant. "That has absolutely nothing to do with the real issue here!"

Jinbu's hazel eyes narrowed. He could not understand for the life of him how such a meek disposition could so easily hide her deadly ferocity as a warrior. "Answer me, Morioka, unless you want me to gut you right this minute."

She shook her head repeatedly, as if trying to shake off the impalpable presence of an attached spirit. With each word, her mind began to fade into an alternate realm of reality, struggling to keep the truth buried. "No… I don't know what you mean… I didn't—I didn't kill that many… I wasn't trying to… I didn't mean for them to…"

"**MORIOKA!!" **

Startled back to the present reality by his outburst, the young recruit nearly jumped out of her skin with fright. "Yes, sir?!" she exclaimed, more due to impulse than anything else.

"What the hell is going on?" Jinbu slowly demanded, his gaze intense as he leaned over the decrepit desk. "What aren't you telling me about yourself? What are you capable of that you find so frightening?"

* * *

The sergeant major was, in two words, positively pissed. Not only had Morioka failed to answer his final question, but the following interviews had gone more than poorly. No, scratch that. "Poorly" was the understatement of the year.

Sakanmyō had been more than willing to toss seductive glances and not-so-surreptitious views of her cleavage, but was altogether unhelpful in her answers. Namiki had blushed a dangerous magenta under her two interrogators' gazes and could barely manage a weak "no" before promptly passing out. Yokurui, the unfortunate recruit burdened with the responsibility of dragging the comatose Namiki to her tent, was not much more forthcoming. His silent treatment quickly developed into a heated argument between himself and Shuu, with Jinbu mediating the ensuing fistfight—simply by clocking the two dunderheads.

And now, before him, sat the first-prize winner for three years' standing in the perfected art of silent treatment: Kanshi Eishi. The raven-haired santōhei's gray eyes bored into Jinbu's hazel ones with an air of both disinterest and distracted reflection. He sat in a straight yet slightly languid position, his hands resting immobile in his lap. A façade of calm and obedience that even the marine officer could barely penetrate.

"I'll ask it again," seethed the sergeant major, "and if you don't answer, I swear I'll gut you on the spot." 'Screw orders, I'm in a bad mood today.' Jinbu could feel his hands itch for an opportunity to inflict pain on the nearest living thing on hand.

'I dare you,' Eishi's eyes seemed to say as they narrowed.

A cigarette jabbed at the photo. "Do you recognize the woman in this picture?"

Contemplation shadowed gray eyes, if only briefly. "No, I do not."

"Liar!" roared the lieutenant, pounding a fist on the table. His altercation with Yokurui had left him a tad temperamental. "Tell us the truth!"

"Shuu, you're not freaking helping!" Jinbu heaved an exasperated sigh as the rolls of tobacco wilted between his fiercely grinding teeth.

He didn't bat an eye. "While this woman _appears_ to possess similar facial characteristics to that of Arisuto-santōhei, I can tell you with absolute certainty that they are not the same woman."

Jinbu's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward in interest. "Explain."

Eishi crossed his arms. "The woman in the picture: Upon closer inspection, one can see that she is not a natural blonde, as that particular color is far too bright to be natural. While Arisuto's hair is auburn, dye could quite easily artificially create such a color. Although her eye color is blue, its hues lean more toward the Marine-issue navy blue than Arisuto's sky blue ones. There are no known methods of artificially altering a person's eye color; only dilation of the pupils.

"Furthermore, the woman is far thinner and shorter than Arisuto. While five years can certainly change a person's personality and figure, there is no remote bodily resemblance between the two. And finally, I noticed that this particular woman has an odd marking just below her ear. It appears to be either a birthmark or a tattoo, but I have seen no signs of such marking or even a scar from surgical removal on Arisuto.

"In other words, either the woman in this photo is an impostor—or Arisuto Akino is. That is," he added, **"assuming** that Arisuto is the woman you are looking for. If she isn't, then all of this is mere coincidence and conjecture."

Jinbu did not respond at first, instead choosing to meditatively smoke the five cigarettes in his mouth. 'Morioka nearly said the same thing.' His eyes narrowed. 'If what this Eishi says is true…then just who **is **this "Arisuto Akino"? Speaking of mysterious people, who the hell are Yokurui, Morioka, and Eishi? There's something "off" about the lot of them, and I don't like the weird vibes I keep getting…'

"Not bad," grunted the sergeant major. "On your way out, tell Arisuto to get her ass in here."

Eishi rose and left, but not before muttering, "That could be a problem, since she's disappeared from the camp. Good luck finding her," with a smirk lightly etched on his features.

"**Shit!!"** yelled the lieutenant, leaping to his feet and susequently knocking his chair to the floor. **"We have to find her—fast!!"**

"Hey, wait a minute—"

Shuu sprinted out the door and into the torrential downpour with the speed of a predator seeking its prey. Thunder rolled across the sable sky, the deafening rumble of ghostly chariots splitting the heavens above.

Crimson polluted the rainfall as a body plunged into the silty mud.

Jinbu rushed outside into the god-forsaken storm…and found himself alone with a fallen Shuu lying at his feet, blood coursing through the puddles as if forewarning of more bloodshed to come.

**

* * *

**

Explanations for the good of the order, stuff like that.

**Marine Ranks:** Instead of "Lieutenant," some sources say "captain" three levels lower than Captain Hina's rank. In the original Japanese, it's "Taii," 大尉. Some fanon backstory is coming up, so you can be certain that Shuu is a canon character. Jinbu is a "Master Chief Petty Officer," or "Sgt. Major"; in Japanese pronounced "Sōchō," spelled 曹長. "Santōhei" is "Seaman Recruit, 3rd Class," spelled 三等兵 in Japanese. Any confusion, just ask. (Note: Although I should be using "Master Chief Petty Officer" instead of "Sergeant Major," it's a bit late to be changing things, so I'm leaving it the way it is.)

**Eishi stealing the spotlight: **Only after I finished writing Eishi's segment did I realize that he was speaking Morioka's intended lines. Crap. Well, too late to change it now….

**Cliffhanger!!: **Nothing to be shouting about, I know. But hey, you gotta love the dramatic effect, right?

**NEXT UPDATE: **Since I suck at updates, I can't give you a specific date. Plus, college life is incredibly busy… Gomen-nasai…


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